Physicians in twin cities at risk

Islamabad endocrinologist, two Pindi doctors test positive for Covid-19

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: With doctors and paramedical staff comprising the frontlines in the fight against the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, some in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have become a casualty of the virus.

The reports come as a lockdown persists in both cities for a sixth consecutive day and the number of cases in the federal capital rose to 43.

In Islamabad, endocrinologist at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), largest tertiary care hospital in the city, tested positive for the virus.

The doctor used to consult diabetic patients at the outpatient department (OPD) of Pims until the district administration ordered the closure of OPDs in the public healthcare facilities last week.

The doctor was a roommate of another doctor who had tested positive for Covid-19 last week. However, sources in the health department said that they cannot assert anything about how the latest victim contracted the virus, whether it was from his roommate or if it had been transmitted from someone else.

The endocrinologist has been shifted to the isolation ward set up at the Federal Government Polyclinic hospital for treatment.

He is the second medic to contract the virus after another medic at the Polyclinic was found positive late last week. Curiously, both medics hail from Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

In Rawalpindi, two doctors at the Rawalpindi District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital have also been affected by the virus.

Health officials said that a medic and his ten-member family had been shifted to the Rawalpindi Institute of Kidney and Liver Transplant (RIUKT) — which has been dedicated for isolating and treating suspected and confirmed Covid-19 patients.

Sources in the health department informed The Express Tribune that the medic’s house in Dhok Kashmirian area, and a clinic he operated there, have also been sealed.

Another medic in the city, who is suspected to have contracted the virus, has been quarantined at this home along with his family.

The medic, who had allegedly disappeared mysteriously after he was suspected to have been infected with the virus, reappeared on Sunday and refuted the accusations online that he had fled.

In a video message released on Sunday, the medic confirmed that he had decided to self-isolate himself and three members of his family after taking due permission from the health ministry.

He added that his parents and brothers were running a fever which raised his suspicion that they could have been infected with Covid-19. Therefore, he said that he had decided to go under self-isolation as a preventive measure.

The medic appreciated the health department for its assistance in providing his family with all the required protection equipment, including masks and sanitisers, adding that thus far, none of his immediate family members had displayed any symptoms of Covid-19.

157 suspected cases

A daily report issued by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad stated that some 157 suspected cases of Covid-19 had been reported at the different health centres in the federal capital over the past 24 hours.

The bulletin added that of the 43 cases of Covid-19 confirmed in the city thus far, 13 had a travel history, while the remaining 30 cases were the result of local transmission.

Eight of the 11 patients undergoing treatment at public hospitals in Islamabad are described by doctors to be in a stable condition while the remaining three are reported to be critical.

Some 30 suspected patients are housed at the isolation facilities in the city, including 26 at the only non-hospital quarantine centre in Islamabad. One of them was discharged on Sunday after testing negative.

Moreover, four pilgrims, who had come from Iran and had been quarantined at the Arid University as a preventive measure, were released from the quarantine centre on Sunday after they tested negative for the pandemic disease.

Meanwhile, the health authorities and district administration in Rawalpindi on Sunday said that the number of positive cases in the garrison city has increased to 32. The Dhoke Paracha locality in the Sadiqabad area of Rawalpindi has emerged as the worst affected region thus far with 14 cases reported there.

A woman and her two children who were positive were quarantined in their home.

Of these cases, 17 are men and 15 are women. As many as nine patients are over the age of 50, two are between 41-50 years of age, 18 are between 11-40 years of age and three are up to 10-years-of-age.

Lockdown in Pindi

Rawalpindi remained locked down for a sixth day on Sunday as its markets remained closed and roads bereft of traffic.

The main commercial markets, shopping malls, and bazaars in the garrison city wore a deserted look while the grocery, meat, dairy, medical shops and other shops dealing in essential items and services remained operational for a limited time during the day in different localities.

Those who ventured outside were stopped by the police at pickets and asked about their purpose for leaving their homes.

Police vans also patrolled different areas of the city, making announcements through speakers mounted atop them, advising the people to stay indoors.

The densely populated areas of Pirwadhai, Fauji Colony, Ratta Amral, Dhok Ratta, Mazharabad, Tench Bhatta, Ghareebabad and others presented an entirely different outlook. Locals came out from their homes and gathered to interact with each other as the police and administration failed to adequately enforce Section 144.

Instead, the police and administration focused on keeping Dhok Kashmirian and Magistrate Colony sealed after Covid-19 cases had surfaced there last week. Moreover, the streets there were washed with chlorinated water and later sprayed with disinfectants.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2020.