Concerns expressed over heavy patient load at PIMS
Doctors tell patients not to come with many attendants, fares hiked
A Reuters illustration.
RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD:
Hundreds of patients queuing up at the largest tertiary care hospital in the federal capital and the only isolation ward for suspected and confirmed Coronavirus patients in the city has raised concerns amongst visitors and doctors about the spread of the highly contagious virus from the health facility.
Rough estimates based on annual figures shared by the hospital suggest that around 10,000 patients and their attendants visit the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) daily.
Despite looming coronavirus (COVID-19) threat, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) seems short of preparations for the visitors to the hospital.
A patient, who was visiting Pims to get himself tested for COVID-19, seemed unhappy with the arrangements. The patient, who did not wish to be named, told The Express Tribune that a long queue of suspected patients and attendants had lined up outside the isolation ward, noting that the proximity in which such a large number of people had lined up left them exposed to possible infection.
Several patients also complained that like in different parts of the city, there was an acute shortage of face masks at the hospital while there were little to no signs of any disinfectant being sprayed in the critical health facility.
When asked, Pims Executive Director (ED) Dr Anser Maxood explained that all suspected and confirmed patients of COVID-19 are being provided with the best treatment facilities available, while the staff and doctors deputed for treating such cases are fully equipped with the necessary protective gear.
He added that is screening facility available at the hospital’s counter and urged all visiting patients to come with a single attendant to prevent congestion in the hospital.
Further, Pims Spokesperson Dr Waseem Khawaja noted that thousands of people visit the healthcare facility every day and that it is necessary to take measures to keep them all safe from infections.
Transporters fleece passengers
An unusual hustle and bustle were witnessed at the bus terminals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and at the railway stations with thousands of students, who stay at either the hostels of educational institutions or in private accommodations in the twin cities, lined up to go home. Educational institutions and hostels have been shut in the twin cities following direction from the federal government.
Despite the rush, no additional hand-wash facilities or sanitizers were made available at the platforms.
To make matters worse, the inter-city transporters enhanced fares causing difficulties to passengers, most of whom were students.
Muhammad Mastan, a student at the Punjab University, told The Express Tribune that he, along with dozens of students from Gilgit-Baltistan, was trying to return home as their university and hostel had shut down.
Mastan said he has camped at the Pirwadhai bus terminal for the past two days but has been unable to secure a seat for Gilgit.
Talking about the surge in fares, Mastan said that the normal bus fare from Rawalpindi to Gilgit was Rs1,700, however, Rs3,400 was being charged.
He lamented that all other options to travel to his hometown were not very economical. He added that a car-pool to G-B, which charged Rs7,000 from each passenger, was now charging Rs25,000.
The student also pointed out towards absence of a washing area, sanitisers or screening for passengers at the bus stand.
Rizwan Shah, who was waiting to get on a bus to Multan at the Faizabad bus terminal, said that transporters were only boarding passengers who paid extra fare.
Shah said the health ministry should take similar health measures at bus stands and railway stations as those implemented at the airports.
Rawalpindi Transport Authority (RTA) officials but they could not be reached for comment.
Campuses go online
Following the closure of universities due to the novel coronavirus, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri on Monday advised universities to develop online learning and management systems.
These systems, he said, should equip them with e-teaching methods for teaching courses online. In this regard, he announced that the HEC has formed a team to assist universities with the system.
Apart from developing e-teaching systems, a database will be developed where all tutorials and lectures will be saved for easy sharing.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2020.
Hundreds of patients queuing up at the largest tertiary care hospital in the federal capital and the only isolation ward for suspected and confirmed Coronavirus patients in the city has raised concerns amongst visitors and doctors about the spread of the highly contagious virus from the health facility.
Rough estimates based on annual figures shared by the hospital suggest that around 10,000 patients and their attendants visit the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) daily.
Despite looming coronavirus (COVID-19) threat, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) seems short of preparations for the visitors to the hospital.
A patient, who was visiting Pims to get himself tested for COVID-19, seemed unhappy with the arrangements. The patient, who did not wish to be named, told The Express Tribune that a long queue of suspected patients and attendants had lined up outside the isolation ward, noting that the proximity in which such a large number of people had lined up left them exposed to possible infection.
Several patients also complained that like in different parts of the city, there was an acute shortage of face masks at the hospital while there were little to no signs of any disinfectant being sprayed in the critical health facility.
When asked, Pims Executive Director (ED) Dr Anser Maxood explained that all suspected and confirmed patients of COVID-19 are being provided with the best treatment facilities available, while the staff and doctors deputed for treating such cases are fully equipped with the necessary protective gear.
He added that is screening facility available at the hospital’s counter and urged all visiting patients to come with a single attendant to prevent congestion in the hospital.
Further, Pims Spokesperson Dr Waseem Khawaja noted that thousands of people visit the healthcare facility every day and that it is necessary to take measures to keep them all safe from infections.
Transporters fleece passengers
An unusual hustle and bustle were witnessed at the bus terminals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and at the railway stations with thousands of students, who stay at either the hostels of educational institutions or in private accommodations in the twin cities, lined up to go home. Educational institutions and hostels have been shut in the twin cities following direction from the federal government.
Despite the rush, no additional hand-wash facilities or sanitizers were made available at the platforms.
To make matters worse, the inter-city transporters enhanced fares causing difficulties to passengers, most of whom were students.
Muhammad Mastan, a student at the Punjab University, told The Express Tribune that he, along with dozens of students from Gilgit-Baltistan, was trying to return home as their university and hostel had shut down.
Mastan said he has camped at the Pirwadhai bus terminal for the past two days but has been unable to secure a seat for Gilgit.
Talking about the surge in fares, Mastan said that the normal bus fare from Rawalpindi to Gilgit was Rs1,700, however, Rs3,400 was being charged.
He lamented that all other options to travel to his hometown were not very economical. He added that a car-pool to G-B, which charged Rs7,000 from each passenger, was now charging Rs25,000.
The student also pointed out towards absence of a washing area, sanitisers or screening for passengers at the bus stand.
Rizwan Shah, who was waiting to get on a bus to Multan at the Faizabad bus terminal, said that transporters were only boarding passengers who paid extra fare.
Shah said the health ministry should take similar health measures at bus stands and railway stations as those implemented at the airports.
Rawalpindi Transport Authority (RTA) officials but they could not be reached for comment.
Campuses go online
Following the closure of universities due to the novel coronavirus, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri on Monday advised universities to develop online learning and management systems.
These systems, he said, should equip them with e-teaching methods for teaching courses online. In this regard, he announced that the HEC has formed a team to assist universities with the system.
Apart from developing e-teaching systems, a database will be developed where all tutorials and lectures will be saved for easy sharing.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2020.