21 hotspots identified in Pindi

Some 21 new spots including six houses in Rawalpindi district have been declared as new novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) hotspots on Saturday.

The surveillance in the related areas has been jacked up while the administration has become active to enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) devised to curb the pandemic virus.

These newly declared hotspots also include six houses from where some 46 infected patients have so far been brought to the hospitals while three of them have died too.

The areas which have been declared as new hotspots include Dhok Naju, Khayabane Sir Syed, Waris Khan, Scheme 3, Gulistan Colony Street 3 and 4, Qasimabad Asif Colony, Rahim Tan Shakriyal, Daryaabad Gawalmandi Street 12, 7th Road, Gulraiz Housing Society Phase 2 and Airport Housing Society.

The residents of precarious areas have been instructed to wear masks and implement all SOPs.

Oxygen system upgraded

New oxygen tank will be installed in the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUKT) next week.

The installation of the VI Oxygen Tank will upgrade the supply system in the hospital which is currently reliant on oxygen cylinders.

This upgrade will enable the provision of oxygen to the patients as per their requirements. According to sources in RIUKT, the company that will install the VI Oxygen Tank has fulfilled all pre-requisites and the oxygen storage tank would be installed next week after which the patients will get an uninterrupted supply of oxygen.

Medical staff demand compensation

Young Doctors Associations (YDA) of allied hospitals, including Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital have announced to raise the voice for payment of salaries and resolution of issues of medical and paramedical staff deployed in the coronavirus management centre, RIUKT.

HFH YDA President Dr Malik Shehriyar, BBH YDA President Dr Bilal Shabbir and DHQ YDA President Dr Sarmad Arsalan visited RIUKT along with other YDA office-bearers on Saturday.

The visiting officials paid homage to the RIUKT medical and paramedical staff serving duties in the dedicated coronavirus treatment facility putting their lives in danger.

They said that the problems and issues of RIUKT doctors would be raised through the YDA platform. YDA officials added that the doctors were the frontline heroes but they were not being treated fairly.

They added that if injustice with the healthcare workers was not stopped, YDA would announce the future line of action after consultation.

Meanwhile, The Express Tribune learnt that three-month pending salaries of RIUKT staff medical and paramedical staff would be released next week.

The total amount has been credited to the hospital’s account, sources told.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2020.