A focus on curbing the spread of the pandemic doesn’t mean that we forget the rest.
KARACHI: The number of people infected by the coronavirus in Pakistan has crossed 10,000, as trade activities are set to resume in Punjab and Sindh. While coronavirus patients are given exclusive treatment, the government and relevant authorities cannot forget that other patients are also facing untold miseries due to closure and lockdown regulations. Hospital OPDs and medical clinics remain closed or are reserved for coronavirus patients. It has been a month and consultants are not attending their private clinics either. In such a situation, what should the patients that need to be cared for do? People who need physical and emotional therapy or other forms of medical assistance are facing a huge problem. They are stuck in their house with no help.
It is essential for the government to come up with a healthcare system that caters to patients other than those infected by the deadly virus. In various areas, medical points can be set up to treat those that deserve attention while ensuring safety protocols. It is also important that doctors remain available on call in cases of emergency. For consultation, doctors can set up Skype or video call meetings just like they would in their clinics.
A focus on curbing the spread of the pandemic doesn’t mean that we forget the rest. The government needs to set up a body that looks into these peripheral matters and creates systems through which such things can be continued even during the pandemic. It is important to try and create a new normal instead of completely putting things to a halt.
Mahfooz un Nabi Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, April 24th, 2020.
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