Covid-19 patients deplore lack of facilities at hospital

Claim Attock doctors call on cell-phones instead of visiting wards

ATTOCK: Patients suffering from coronavirus (Covid-19) admitted at DHQ Hospital Attock have expressed their dissatisfaction and annoyance over the arrangements and health facilities being provided to them.

However DHQ Hospital Attock Medical Superintendent Dr Khalid Mahmood denied the allegations.

Coronavirus patients under treatment in the hospital told newsmen on cell phone that no doctor was visiting them and even paramedics on duty were ignoring them.

They said that the doctor on duty never came to their wards and sometime contact them on their cell phones and inquire about their health.



The patients said neither the doctors were visiting them nor their relatives were allowed to see them, which was causing them mental agony.

A source of DHQ Hospital Attock said a CIV employee working in the blood bank contracted the virus and disappeared from the hospital for few days without informing the authorities.

The hospital employee has been admitted in isolation ward, but the higher authorities were not informed about a Covid-19 positive patient working in the blood bank, nor were legal action taken against him under the law for prevention of the spread of contagious diseases.

Source further said that this employee who was suffering from Covid-19 was working in blood bank but none of his colleagues has been quarantined which was beyond comprehension.

Medical Superintendent DHQ Attock Dr Khalid Mahmood when contacted denied all the allegations and said that if patients were not satisfied with the services, they should lodge complaint in writing and action will be taken.

Covid-19 survivors’ lives yet to normalise

When asked about the masks and gloves not being used by the hospital staff, he said that hospital has not been provided with these items.

While replying another question he said that the names of the doctors and paramedics have been recommended on merit for extra salary and no one has been recommended against the rules.

Attock District Health Authority CEO Dr Sohail Ejaz when contacted about the availability of gloves, masks, and sanitisers for hospital staff, he said the provincial health department has ample supply of such items.

Dr Ejaz said that DHQ Hospital Attock MS Dr Mahmood never approached him for the supply of gloves, masks and sanitisers.

MS Dr Khalid has not approached him in connection with shortage of the aforementioned items, Dr Ejaz said. He said that only names of doctors and paramedics performing coronavirus duties have been recommended for extra salary. “No violation of rules and regulations has been made in this context,” he said.  

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2020.