Doctors back WHO lockdown advice

Say people and govt equally to blame for pandemic escalation


​ Our Correspondent June 11, 2020

KARACHI: Health experts voiced support for the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation to enforce a complete lockdown after every 15 days.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday at the Karachi Press Club organised by the Sindh Doctors Ittehad, they maintained that the only way to prevent the spread of coronavirus was to strictly follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and practice social distancing.

“Symptoms of the virus start appearing during the 15 days of quarantine and having the correct statistics of affected individuals will help in controlling the spread of the virus,” said one of the experts, explaining the logic behind WHO’s suggestion.

Holding the citizens and government equally responsible for the pandemic escalation in the country, the doctors pointed out that people had failed to follow the health advisories. They added that since there was no definite endpoint for the pandemic to end, people must change their lifestyles.

They further stated that several health professionals had been infected by coronavirus too, adding that though they were fighting on the frontlines, they still feared for their families.

Moreover, they said, health workers were unsure of whether their families would receive allowances if they lost their lives while treating Covid-19 patients. As a result, they urged the government to resolve these issues so that they could serve people peacefully.

They suggested that the services of doctors and paramedics serving at Peoples Primary Health Initiative should be utilised to keep OPDs operational around the clock, which could help hospitals follow SOPs better.

They further suggested that the age limit for the appointment of doctors for coronavirus emergency should be revoked so that there could be a bigger pool of doctors handling the crises. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11th, 2020.

COMMENTS (1)

Amir | 4 years ago | Reply Doesnt matter what doctors think, the decision is in the hands of PM, who from today said will monitor the situation
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