Ashura holidays of medics cancelled in Punjab

Hospital emergency departments, trauma centres on alert

LAHORE:

Punjab government has cancelled the Ashura holidays of doctors, nursing and paramedical staffers, alerting all hospitals regarding special arrangements in connection with the occasion.

The hospitals administrations have been advised to enhance coordination with rescue, police and district authorities to ensure immediate response in case of an emergency. The hospitals were also instructed to make preparations to ensure the availability of space in wards in case of an emergency.

According to sources in the health department, the hospital emergency departments and trauma centres will remain on high alert and senior professors will be available for duty along with the staff. Availability of medicines will also be ensured during the processions on both days.

The sources said instructions in this regard had been issued to the major district hospitals, including the big healthcare facilities in Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan, Gujrat and Narowal.

The provincial health minister will visit the Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and other healthcare facilities along the route of the main procession in Lahore. Monitoring teams will inspect the arrangements and services in the hospitals in the districts across the province.

The Punjab government has instructed the doctors and nurses to perform their duties round the clock on Muharram 9 and 10. Ambulance services and blood banks have also been ordered to ensure preparations to perform special duties on the two days.

The government has constituted the monitoring committees to check the arrangements in the hospitals, while departmental action will be taken against the medical officials found absent from duty.

The health authorities have cancelled the holidays of the senior doctors, medical officers, paramedical and nursing staff as part of arrangements for the observance of Ashura.

In addition to keeping operational their wards, emergency and outpatient departments, the major hospitals will also set up medical camps along the procession routes.

"We have issued an alert to all district headquarters and teaching hospitals and the doctors and other staff will be on duty. The professors will also remain present in hospitals," said Punjab health department spokesman Syed Hamad Raza.