Outpatient departments reopened at Allied, DHQ hospitals

As many as 11,000 patients and their attendants visit both hospitals daily

FAISALABAD: A myriad of patients, other than those suffering from COVID-19 disease heaved a sigh of relief after the reopening of outpatient departments at Allied and DHQ Hospitals in Faisalabad, which were informally closed about 16 days ago in light of the lockdown imposed by Punjab government.

As many as 11,000 patients and their attendants visit both the hospitals daily, covering the vast catchment area of eight districts of Faisalabad and Sargodha divisions for treatment of different ailments.

The patients' thin attendance was seen at DHQ Hospital due to the unavailability of transport facilities. The medical practitioners, Allied Hospital staff, nurses and paramedical personnel were called from their houses as they all went into self-isolation due to the looming threat of coronavirus.

Naziran Bibi, a patient from Bhakkhar said that she had been visiting the hospital for two weeks for a checkup and to get the medical test reports but had to return because of the unavailability of doctors. She said that she had to bear thousands of rupees of expenditure on traveling from her native village to Faisalabad. She also tried to get medical facility from a private hospital in Faisalabad but expenses were out of her reach so she decided to go back to her city.



Naziran Bibi commended the provision of medical facilities at Allied Hospital and doctors admitted her in the emergency ward for treatment.

Another teenaged patient Mohsin Ali, said that he was treated by a child specialist. He, along with his father came for their treatment and they we were very glad after seeking an expert’s advice as well as medicines from the store of Allied Hospital.

Faisalabad Medical University’s Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Zafar told The Express Tribune that outpatient department has been divided into four sections. Section A for medicine, Section B for surgery, section C for testing reports while section D has been designated for ENT and eye patients where the concerned doctors will be available for patients from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM daily.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2020.