Fighting the endless battle against Covid-19

In every crisis, there are always some people who stand on the front line for the sake of protecting others. In the Covid-19 health crisis, the medical workers have come to our aid.

Five months and counting, health workers across Pakistan refuse to give up. They stand united against the pandemic, which has claimed over 630,000 lives worldwide, and more than 5,700 in Pakistan.

While the fight is far from over, and the country continues to record new cases, these medical workers have one thing to celebrate and that is their resilience. Marking 150 days since the start of this long campaign against an unknown respiratory virus that has infected more than 270,000 citizens, health workers in each province have fought an uphill battle.

"The Covid-19 health crisis has tested the resolve of health workers every day during the past 5 months," said one health expert.

While there is no date in sight for victory against the virus, medical workers, or frontline heroes as they are commonly known, have managed to fight the disease -- with limited resources in some cases.

"The spread of catastrophic Covid-19 is slowing down, and the graph is dropping. The number of infected patients in the country stands at 1,500 per day," claimed Prof. Rafiq Khanani.

Health care workers, Khanani said, have made great sacrifices during the last 150 days. "The reduction in the number of positive cases is a morale booster for health workers," said Prof. Khanani, who serves as the president of the Pakistan Infection Control Society.

Khanani's comments come with a series of caveats: "The progress against the Covid-19 virus is reversible. The public cannot afford to abandon precautionary measures."

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

While Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), appears to be third on the list of most affected provinces in the country, its healthcare system had to face several challenges. With the total of positive cases inching closer to the 33,000 mark, the healthcare staff in K-P fought back with whatever limited resources they had.

"The healthcare force was not prepared to handle such a major crisis," claimed Dr. Ahmad Khan, who serves on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.

According to Dr. Khan, more than 1,800 health workers tested positive during this time. "More than 850 doctors tested positive, and 16 lost their lives," said Dr. Khan.

Details collected by the Express Tribune show, the province had to juggle with limited resources. One irked resident said: "Tall claims made by the government stand exposed. Hospitals are facing a shortage of ventilators and necessary protective equipment."

"The government should build separate medical facilities to deal with such pandemics," urged Noman Khan, a resident of Peshawar. Praising the frontline workers, he said: "Medical workers have done an extraordinary job in dealing with the respiratory disease, even with the limited resources."

Punjab

The most populous province in the country appears to have taken the second spot on the list of the most affected regions in the country. With over 91,000 positive cases, the province is right behind in Sindh. Health workers in the province have struggled with an ever-growing number of patients during the past 150 days.

"I've worked 36-40 hours per week," claimed Dr. Shah Jahan. In March this year, Dr. Jahan, a cardiologist, was pulled out of his ward and asked to serve in the Covid-19 intensive care unit.

At the Mayo Hospital, the oldest and largest in the provincial capital, Dr. Jahan claimed, protective equipment supplies have remained short. Dr. Jahan and his colleagues continued to serve under extreme circumstances.

With hospitals reaching capacity, one medical expert from the province cautioned that the health care system could collapse if doctors and medical staff started falling sick. According to one estimate, more than 1,000 medical workers have tested positive in the province.

Shortage of medical facilities and fear, Dr. Jahan said, are the main reasons behind people choosing to receive treatment for Covid-19 at home. "The cost of oxygen cylinders has gone up from Rs.3,000 to 15,000 only because more and more people prefer receiving treatment at home," said Dr. Jahan.

While the disease appears to be spreading at a much slower rate, Dr. Jahan believes an effective lockdown at the beginning would have reduced the overall impact of the virus.

Sindh

The first to impose a lockdown, Sindh appears to be the epicenter of the Covid-19 virus in the country. After 150 days, the province has the highest number of positive cases. The number of cases crossed the 115,000 mark this month. According to the government's official Covid-19 web portal, the province has recorded over 2,000 deaths during this time.

Most hospitals, one medical expert said, have reached capacity. "For medical workers, the struggle in Sindh comes with the same challenges as in any other province," said the health expert, who was speaking on the condition of anonymity. "We had to serve extra-long shifts and treat an endless number of cases," he said while sharing his experience about working on the frontline.

Federal capital

The news from Islamabad may have been better than other places but the struggle remains the same. "The Covid-19 crisis was a test for medical workers and we will win it," said Dr. Naveed Ata Malik, a senior doctor at the Railway Hospital.

Capital territory recorded more than 14,000 positive cases during the last 150 days. Despite all the odds, medical workers continue to serve patients. "Some family members do not cooperate. We have to cope with a lot during our shifts," said Nargis, a nurse at a state-run hospital. "No matter what, we keep going," she said.

Other medical workers mentioned how they struggled with long duty hours during the crisis. "The worst is behind us. We hope this crisis ends soon," said one doctor from the federal capital.