‘Covid has killed 30 gynaecologists who put lives of patients first’

Around 30 gynaecologists in the country have lost their lives due to Covid-19 while treating pregnant women and assisting in deliveries during the pandemic, office-bearers of the Society of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists of Pakistan (SOGP) said on Wednesday.

Addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club, (KPC), they said gynaecologists never refuse to examine and treat any pregnant woman even if she is infected with Covid-19. Hundreds of surgeries of pregnant women infected with Covid-19 have been performed by gynaecologists to save the lives of mothers and their babies, they added.

They lamented that the services of obstetricians and gynaecologists are not being highlighted and recognised despite the fact that they have been putting their lives in danger during the pandemic.

According to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, 174 healthcare professionals and workers, including 103 doctors, in the country have lost their lives, while the Pakistan Medical Association claims the number of doctors losing their lives due to Covid-19 to be over 250.

SOGP President Prof Dr Razia Korejo and Prof Dr Sadiah Ahsan Pal said that to pay tribute to their fallen colleagues and highlight their services, a session will be conducted at the association’s 18th Biennial International Scientific Conference, which will be held in Karachi from February 25 to 27.

“Covid-19 — A Continuing Challenge for Women’s Health is the theme of the conference, where issues related to obstetrics, maternal & infant mortality, gynaecology, contraception & family planning, patient safety and other matters will be discussed,” said Dr Sadiah, who heads the SOGP’s scientific committee.

She said that despite thousands of obstetricians and gynaecologists serving in Pakistan, 25,000 to 30,000 women die annually due to preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, adding that the conference will also provide scientific solutions to reduce maternal & infant mortality rates in the country.

“Dozens of experts from entire Pakistan as well as abroad are attending the conference to present research papers on different aspects of obstetrics and gynaecology,” she said, adding that Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho will formally inaugurate the conference on February 25.

Dr Razia said the conference will play an important role in extending gynaecological services in the country, adding that they are going to bridge the gap between media and gynaecologists, while sessions will also be held on infertility, assisted reproduction, disorders of sexual development and reproductive endocrinology.

877 new cases emerge

The novel coronavirus claimed four more lives in Sindh during the 24 hours, raising the death toll to 8,013 in the province.

In addition to four deaths, 877 new cases emerged when 11,496 tests were conducted, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said in his daily Covid-19 situation report on Thursday. So far 7,804,667 tests had been conducted against which 559,548 cases were diagnosed, of them 90.7 per cent or 507,559 patients had recovered, including 210 overnight.

The CM said that currently 43,976 patients were under treatment -- 43,702 in home isolation, 18 at isolation centres, 256 at different hospitals and 20 on ventilators.

Out of the 877 new cases, 429 were detected in Karachi: 201 from District Malir, 72 from District South, 63 from District Korangi, 54 from District East, 20 from District Central and 19 from District West. Hyderabad reported 287 cases, Thatta 19, Matiari 15, Tando Allahyar and Tando Muhammad Khan 13 each, Mirpurkhas 12, Sanghar and Shikarpur 11 each, Sujawal and Jamshoro eight each, Umrkot seven, Badin, Kashmore and Sanghar six each, Ghotki and Larkana four each, Shaheed Benazirabad three, Qamber two, Dadu, Khairpur and NausheroFeroze one each.

Sharing the vaccination data, the CM said that in total 45,087,495 vaccine doses had been administered which constituted 83.53 per cent of the vaccine-eligible population.