Pakistani doctors will be unable to work sans safety gear — medics' representative

KARACHI: Chief of Pakistan’s Medical Association (PMA) said on Saturday that medics at the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak might refuse to work unless provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), as at least six medical professionals in the country contracted the virus from patients.
Last week, Dr. Usama Riaz, a 26 year old doctor from Pakistan’s northern Gilgit Baltistan became the country’s first frontline casualty after contracting the coronavirus while screening pilgrims returning from Iran without appropriate PPE.
“The situation is very critical as a lack of protective gear is hampering the country’s war against the virus outbreak and the situation will become more complex next week amid increasing numbers of cases,” Dr. SM Qaiser Sajjad, secretary general of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) told Arab News.
“The number of cases in the country is rapidly growing and the doctors won’t be able to treat patients without protective kits,” he said.
By Saturday, over 1,400 people in Pakistan were confirmed to have the virus with at least 11 deaths. Eastern Punjab province is leading the tally of total cases with 497, followed by Sindh with a reported 457 cases.
Healthcare professionals have been critical of the lack of PPE needed to ensure their safety at the forefront of the country’s battle against the deadly virus, with some warning they won’t be continuing their work if not provided with appropriate safety equipment.
“Many doctors are calling us and saying they won't be able to provide services because their families are mounting pressure on them to stay at home,” Dr. Sajjad said.
“They want to work but government needs to provide them with PPE. If the doctors choose to sit at home, that would be the worst nightmare for this country,” he warned.
Provincial health officials could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
Dr. Sajjad said that at Karachi’s Aga Khan University Hospital (AKU), the country’s leading private health care institution, three medical professionals had contracted the disease. Additionally, he said one doctor at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad had tested positive.
Dr. Sajjad also said two doctors in Punjab’s Dera Ghazi Khan had tested positive, as well as one doctor at Karachi’s Liaqat National Hospital.
AKU Hospital, the first private sector health care facility to screen and treat patients in the country has suspended its coronavirus testing for the time being, citing the “over capacity of patients.” The hospital spokesperson did not confirm how many members of its staff had contracted the virus.
Masooma Raza, AKU spokesperson, told Arab News the hospital was following the government’s guidelines for reducing footfall to ensure social distancing.
“To manage over capacity, our testing facility is temporarily unavailable but it will soon restart,” Raza said.
She said coronavirus patients were being treated at AKU but declined to share the number of patients admitted.
At Karachi’s Liaquat National Hospital (LNH), a doctor working at the Radiology Department tested positive after returning from a religious gathering in Raiwind, Lahore, according to LNH spokesperson, Anjum Rizvi. The spokesperson denied any other staff member had contracted the virus and said the infected doctor had been home-quarantined for 10 days.