Hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa close OPDs, switch to telemedicine

PESHAWAR: After announcing a two-week closure of Out Patient Departments (OPDs) in hospitals, the provincial administration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to switch to telemedicine to remotely diagnose and treat patients by using telecommunications technology, provincial health officials said on Wednesday.
“Keeping in view the safety of health care workers and people who visit hospitals, the government has ordered the closure of OPDs from April 1 to April 13 in all tertiary care and district headquarter hospitals in the province,” Rizwan Malik, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the provincial health minister, told Arab News.
According to the official data, Pakistan has more than 2,050 confirmed coronavirus patients, with as many as 253 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A day earlier, the provincial administration had issued a notification, asking the tertiary and district headquarter hospitals to establish a proper system to determine which of the patients needed urgent care.
“During the [closure] period, the hospitals shall strengthen the emergency services for uninterrupted patient care management after triaging the patients outside the emergency department of hospitals,” it stated.
Muhammad Asim, spokesperson for the province’s main Lady Reading Hospital, told Arab News that the medical facility treated around 5,000 patients on a daily basis before the coronavirus outbreak and even during the pandemic.
However, due to the heavy presence of patients at hospitals, the provincial government had to close OPDs and alternatively launch telemedicine to ensure social distancing, he added.
“Doctors of specialized fields such as orthopedic, cardiac and pediatrics are available through telemedicine for consultations. OPDs are closed, but hospitals will continue to treat serious and emergency patients 24/7,” he recalled.
Asim said that as many as 300 patients approached doctors at the Lady Reading Hospital who prescribed treatment through telemedicine in a single day on Tuesday.
Wali Muhammad, a patient from the tribal district, said he was in Peshawar for his regular skin checkup, but the heavy presence of patients barred him from visiting any hospital.
“I think the telemedicine procedure will help ensure people’s safety from the pandemic. Tragically, the outbreak of coronavirus has exposed our underfunded health care sector. People should cooperate and abide by the government’s directives to prevent the possibility of contracting COVID-19,” Muhammad added.