Contingency plan: Hospitals to increase staff on duty

"All those coming to the hospital will be required to obtain special passes after security clearance,” says Khan.

PESHAWAR:

Afraid of inevitable casualties during Muharram processions, the administrations of three major hospitals have taken measures to ensure injured patients are treated efficiently and effectively.

The administrations of Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) and Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) have limited entries of doctors and paramedics to authorised staff only. Other staff and visitors will have to acquire special passes to enter.

“Three main gates of the hospitals will remain closed for two days and only the emergency entrance will be used for all visitors,” said LRH spokesperson Hayat Muhammad Khan. “All those coming to the hospital will be required to obtain special passes after security clearance,” he told The Express Tribune.

Khan said that there were 35 doctors in the causality unit, four more in each outdoor patient department and 70 other staff who will be on duty in the hospital on Saturday and Sunday.

Eight ambulances where currently active at the hospital and more may be put on call in case of emergencies. Khan also said that the hospital has provided medicines to all patients for two days so that their attendants do not have to go outside the hospital.

HMC Chief Executive Dr Muhammad Zubair Khan said: “We usually don’t receive patients with blast injuries so we haven’t made many arrangements for that, but all our staff members will be on duty.”

“We have three ambulances and the medical staff will be available 24 hours while professors and associate professors will also be on call in case of emergencies,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2012.