Govt hospitals told to reopen OPDs

Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho directs all government hospitals to reopen their OPDs

KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho directed all government hospitals on Wednesday to reopen their outpatient departments (OPDs).

Chairing a video conference, attended by the medical superintendents (MS) of the hospitals and vice-chancellors of medical universities in Sindh, she stated that if hospitals could not open their OPDs, they should attend to patients through telemedicine.



She also directed the health facilities to allocate separate wards and staff for coronavirus patients. Moreover, she said, the hospitals should provide temporary accommodation for staff working in isolation wards in order to keep their families safe, while also providing personal protective equipment those deputed in emergency wards, intensive care units and isolation wards.



She further stated that the doctors and paramedics dealing with coronavirus should be provided with online training on health safety, adding that every MS would be responsible for following the standard operating procedures in this regard.

Dr Pechuho said that if any medical personnel were affected by coronavirus, they would be treated at the isolation wards of the same hospital.