PIMS emergency ward official dies of Covid

Pandemic claims two more lives in Pindi

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD:

The novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) claimed the life of another doctor at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad on Saturday.

PIMS Emergency Ward Deputy Director Dr Manzoor Ahmad Khan, succumbed to the contagion. The 40-year-old doctor was on a ventilator for the past month.

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) has announced three-day mourning over the death of Dr Manzoor. YDA leader Dr Faiz Khan Achakzai said that healthcare workers were making sacrifices for the sake of the nation in the war against coronavirus. The government should increase safety measures for the protection of health care workers in hospitals, he demanded Further, Grand Health Alliance (GHA) Chairman Dr Asfandyar said that doctors and health workers worked day and night during the pandemic.

"We were not given kits and facilities and had to buy personal protection equipment from our own expenses,” he said adding that the medical workers have not received the coronavirus health risk allowance so far.

The novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) claimed two more lives in Rawalpindi on Saturday. The fatalities namely Muhammad Rafi and Ibrar were receiving treatment at Holy Family Hospital (HFH) and Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIKUT) respectively.

Meanwhile, of the total 45 patients presently under treatment, 35 of them are reportedly on oxygen. According to officials of District Health Office, only patients in need of oxygen and ventilators come to hospitals, while a larger number stays in quarantine at homes.

Furthermore, in view of constant violation of coronavirus Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which has become the norm the health experts are warning of a possible impending third wave.

The district administration has failed to ensure the implementation of precautionary guidelines at public places. The mandatory mask mask stricture in government offices as well as in hospitals is being ignored.

Dr Israrul Haq, who runs a private clinic and examines patients across a glass cabin where he sits, has ruled out the assumption that coronavirus has waned and the pandemic has died out. He emphasised that people were still required to follow SOPs despite the drop in intensity of the contagion.

He lamented forgoing the use of sanitisers and hinted that such behavior could result in a third wave.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2021.