Lack of PPEs exposes doctors to COVID-19

ABBOTTABAD: The lack of proper facemasks, sanitizers, personal protective equipment (PPE) and inadequate healthcare facilities have exposed doctors and paramedics working in the public sector hospitals to the coronavirus.

“We will face a shortage of staff in hospitals as doctors, paramedics and nurses have been infected by the coronavirus,” said Prof Dr Nisar Khan while chairing a meeting of the Peoples Doctors Forum (PDF) here on Monday.Dr Daud Iqbal, spokesman for PDF while briefing newsmen said that COVID-19 was spreading rapidly in all over the country, particularly Peshawar and Hazara. As many as 646 coronavirus positive cases have been confirmed in Hazara in the last two months.

He said that 102 deaths caused by the coronavirus have been reported in Ayub Teaching Hospital so far.The doctor said the dead included Dr Raja Asif, Causality Medical Officer who died due to corona.

He urged the people to take precautionary measures and avoid crowded places. The doctor asked the public to wear facemasks, avoid congested places, maintain social distancing and seek medical advice if you have flu-like symptoms.

Expressing concern over shortage of protective gear in different public sector hospitals, Dr Daud Iqbal said that the PPE kit included specialized clothing, disposable masks, gowns, hoods, gloves, shoe covers, face shields that were needed by healthcare providers dealing with infectious diseases but authorities were least bothered to provide them with the safety gears.

He went to say that doctors were exposed to the deadly virus as no screening process could be started in hospitals which is causing threats to non-Covid-19 patients as well as the doctors and other health providers.

Dr Daud Iqbal asked the government to immediately provide the personal protective equipment to the doctors and paramedics to prevent them from getting infected with the coronavirus.

He said the OPDs were flooded with patients where no masks and sanitizers were provided to them.Dr Daud Iqbal asked the provincial Health Department to ensure the provision of required medicines in all the public sector hospitals for corona patients.