Tough days ahead for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Healthcare officials warn of dire consequences as govt experiments with relaxed lockdown rules
PHOTO: REUTERS
PESHAWAR:
With the number of positive cases rising and hospital wards overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients, health care providers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are painting a grim picture of the months ahead. As the contagion takes a firm hold in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), frontline workers who are tirelessly trying to treat patients predict dire consequences of the relaxed rules in the province.
“We fear more deaths in the months ahead if the people are allowed to move around freely and gather in markets and other public spots,” said one official speaking on the condition of anonymity. The downbeat assessment comes as the provincial tally of positive cases inches closer to the 9,000 mark with a record single-day jump of over 350 cases. In their cautionary advice, officials said easing the lockdown rules will not only increase the number of positive cases but also result in more coronavirus-related deaths. Warning that the coronavirus pandemic was far from contained in the province, the senior health care official said the government should have imposed a strict lockdown — at least during the extended Eid break.
Sindh to set up six infectious diseases hospitals
The impact of the relaxed lockdown rules, he said, will not only be felt by the already overwhelmed healthcare system, but also people across the province. District health officials from all over the province have already raised the red flag over the government’s decision to lift the lockdown restrictions.
Details from various districts suggest that hospitals are now nearing capacity and will no longer be able to admit new patients. One senior official at the health ministry said hospitals will soon run out of beds in the province.
“It is not just the shortage of beds but also the staff. An increasing number of healthcare providers have resigned,” he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because most staff members at the ministry are not authorised to share details related to the ongoing pandemic.
Another healthcare expert bluntly blamed the public for the spread of coronavirus in the province. “I would blame the public for not taking this health crisis seriously and not taking responsibility.
They need to stay away from each other to prevent the spread,” he cautioned. The consequences of relaxing the lockdown, he warned, will surface over the next few days. Meanwhile, in its response, the provincial administration believes, the disease can be controlled, if the public follows the guidelines. However, in interviews, officials across the provincial capital gave accounts that the public has largely ignored the guidelines.
Hospitals running out of beds, ventilators: Sindh health minister
Front line staff from several hospitals, who are going above and beyond in this crisis, said it was getting difficult to keep pace with the crisis. “We are running out of beds in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU),” said one senior doctor.”Most ICU units are overwhelmed and have no space,” claimed Dr. Rizwan Kundi, who serves as the president of the Young Doctor’s Association in the province.
“The government must announce a lockdown, and the public must follow the rules,” he added. Insiders claim the provincial government is considering tougher measures to control the super spreader.
When asked about the government’s plan, Ajmal Wazir, who serves as chief minister’s adviser on information, said the provincial government has no plans to impose a curfew. Still far behind in the tally of positive cases, K-P is the third most affected province in the country after Punjab.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2020.
With the number of positive cases rising and hospital wards overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients, health care providers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are painting a grim picture of the months ahead. As the contagion takes a firm hold in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), frontline workers who are tirelessly trying to treat patients predict dire consequences of the relaxed rules in the province.
“We fear more deaths in the months ahead if the people are allowed to move around freely and gather in markets and other public spots,” said one official speaking on the condition of anonymity. The downbeat assessment comes as the provincial tally of positive cases inches closer to the 9,000 mark with a record single-day jump of over 350 cases. In their cautionary advice, officials said easing the lockdown rules will not only increase the number of positive cases but also result in more coronavirus-related deaths. Warning that the coronavirus pandemic was far from contained in the province, the senior health care official said the government should have imposed a strict lockdown — at least during the extended Eid break.
Sindh to set up six infectious diseases hospitals
The impact of the relaxed lockdown rules, he said, will not only be felt by the already overwhelmed healthcare system, but also people across the province. District health officials from all over the province have already raised the red flag over the government’s decision to lift the lockdown restrictions.
Details from various districts suggest that hospitals are now nearing capacity and will no longer be able to admit new patients. One senior official at the health ministry said hospitals will soon run out of beds in the province.
“It is not just the shortage of beds but also the staff. An increasing number of healthcare providers have resigned,” he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because most staff members at the ministry are not authorised to share details related to the ongoing pandemic.
Another healthcare expert bluntly blamed the public for the spread of coronavirus in the province. “I would blame the public for not taking this health crisis seriously and not taking responsibility.
They need to stay away from each other to prevent the spread,” he cautioned. The consequences of relaxing the lockdown, he warned, will surface over the next few days. Meanwhile, in its response, the provincial administration believes, the disease can be controlled, if the public follows the guidelines. However, in interviews, officials across the provincial capital gave accounts that the public has largely ignored the guidelines.
Hospitals running out of beds, ventilators: Sindh health minister
Front line staff from several hospitals, who are going above and beyond in this crisis, said it was getting difficult to keep pace with the crisis. “We are running out of beds in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU),” said one senior doctor.”Most ICU units are overwhelmed and have no space,” claimed Dr. Rizwan Kundi, who serves as the president of the Young Doctor’s Association in the province.
“The government must announce a lockdown, and the public must follow the rules,” he added. Insiders claim the provincial government is considering tougher measures to control the super spreader.
When asked about the government’s plan, Ajmal Wazir, who serves as chief minister’s adviser on information, said the provincial government has no plans to impose a curfew. Still far behind in the tally of positive cases, K-P is the third most affected province in the country after Punjab.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2020.