Health dept issues alert for hospitals across Punjab

Leave of emergency staff at tehsil and district headquarters hospital have been cancelled

LAHORE: In anticipation of Muharram 10, The Punjab Health Department issued an alert for hospitals across the province while cancelling the holidays of emergency staff at all tehsil and district headquarters hospitals.

Medical superintendents and senior officers in all 36 districts were advised to make additional arrangements at emergency wards. The department also arranged monitoring teams at a district level to monitor arrangements.

The directions issued by the health department stated that holidays of all medical professors, junior staff and senior staff have been cancelled; all the aforementioned people will be present at emergency wards.



In addition to this, ambulance services and blood banks will also remain open while no senior professor will be allowed to go out of town. Senior professors and medical superintendents will not switch off their cell phones and will be in contact with the department, the instructions outlined.

Special instructions were also issued regarding hospitals in big cities where ambulances and staff will be positioned near large processions.

Sources in the department said that Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid and the health secretary will be monitoring hospitals across the province.

In case the instructions are not being followed, action will be taken under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (PEEDA) Act 2006.

The administration at large hospitals in the provincial capital such as Mayo Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Services Hospital and Lahore General Hospital were advised to ensure that there are a sufficient number of beds available for patients.



Keeping in line with these instructions, many hospitals across the province discharged non-critical patients to increase the number of beds available.

“We have been making arrangements for Muharram 10 for the past week. We have issued an alert to hospitals and are doing our best for the people. Senior doctors and paramedical staff will be on high alert,” expressed Punjab Health Director General Dr Munir Ahmed.

In the past, a large influx of patients has been noticed at hospitals on Muharram 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2018.