Tag: Doctors

  • Coronavirus: Army takes over distribution of protective equipment to ensure transparency

    Coronavirus: Army takes over distribution of protective equipment to ensure transparency

    National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chief Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal has said that the army, amid doctors’ complaints regarding the nonavailability of personal protective equipment (PPE), has taken over the distribution of the same and the equipment is now being provided to hospitals with the help of respective corps headquarters.

    “As we had received complaints from some doctors that they were not getting PPE, I requested COAS [Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa] after which it was decided that PPEs will directly be sent to the corps headquarters concerned rather than sharing them with the provincial governments,” Lt Gen Afzal said while addressing a press conference.

    According to Dawn, he added that the information regarding the dispatching of PPEs was, however, duly shared with the provincial governments. “Now the army is distributing the protective gear in the hospitals, and since then we have not received any complain.”

    The NDMA chairperson said the authority had adequate stocks of protective equipment which could cater to the needs of doctors and patients for the next month.

    He said initially Pakistan was dependent on foreign-made equipment but now except ventilators, everything else was being manufactured by local companies. “As a result of the local production of equipment, the cost of normal mask has dropped from Rs50 to Rs10 and N-95 mask is now available for Rs300 against its previous price of Rs2,000.”

    Lt Gen Afzal said so far five tranches of equipment had been sent to provinces and a universal helpline 111-157-157 set up to receive complaints regarding unavailability of PPE and other material being used against the virus.

    He said a quarantine centre established at Haji Camp in the capital was not being utilised as people of the area had demanded that such a centre should be away from populated areas.

  • 21 cops on Sunday, 92 health professionals in two days test positive for coronavirus

    21 cops on Sunday, 92 health professionals in two days test positive for coronavirus

    At least 21 Punjab Police officials on Sunday and 92 health professionals within the last two days have tested positive for the new coronavirus. The sudden spike in the number of health professionals contracting the virus has increased the national tally of infected doctors, nurses, paramedics and support staff to 345.

    As per the details of the infected cops, additional inspector general (AIG) operations has said that over 60 police personnel were tested for the virus, out of which 21 tested positive. One of the cops was deployed at the Central Police Office (CPO) whereas the results of many others are awaited.

    While cops dealing with masses are at a greater risk to contract COVID-19 and incidents of them falling sick have been reported from various parts of the country, health professionals remain on the frontline in the battle against the global pandemic.

    According to a Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination official, the number of health professionals contracting the virus increased to 345 from 253 after new cases were detected among the medical community.

    The official said that doctors are the most-affected among healthcare professionals with over 165 of them now undergoing treatment across the country. As many as 131 members of paramedical and support staff, as well as 41 nurses, have also contracted the virus.

    Apart from the confirmed cases, more than 1,500 doctors, nurses, paramedics and those with whom they came into contact, are in quarantine. Many are waiting for their test results after coming into contact with health professionals who have already tested positive, the official said.

    They added that most of the cases of coronavirus among health professionals had been reported in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab, while a few cases had also been reported in Sindh and the federal capital.

  • Top doctors, healthcare professionals ask for strict countrywide lockdown

    Top doctors, healthcare professionals ask for strict countrywide lockdown

    Senior doctors and top healthcare professionals issued a stern warning on Wednesday and appealed to the federal and provincial governments to reconsider relaxation in lockdown given that they fear a spike in coronavirus cases in the country. Doctors said easing relaxation could prove disastrous for Pakistan.

    Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Dr Saad Niaz said that from April 16-April 21, cases have increased around 40 percent.

    “If we don’t strictly enforce lockdown measures, the projected number of coronavirus cases may go up to 70,000 by May 15,” he stated.

    Dr Saad also said that we don’t have the testing capacity. “We are not safe. These are just myths. If there had been no lockdown initially, things would have been worse…Wards are already saturated. We have more patients under the age of 60 than in western countries. We have to realise that we don’t have enough healthcare facilities to cope with cases…In fact, severity is much more than what we think.”

    He said that more than 162 healthcare workers have been tested positive for COVID-19 in Sindh alone. “Don’t take this lightly based on myths. Neither is there any cure nor do we have the capacity to cope with the cases. Lockdown helped contain the spread. The only thing that can help is complete social distancing and lockdown. We know that at least 200 people have died of coronavirus in the last month alone. We don’t want to get to a point where we will be treating people on the roads or deciding who to save – the 35-year-old patient or the 55-year-old one. We are taking risks. It is very depressing for us to see that everything is being opened while we are at the frontline of this war against corona.”

    Watch the complete video of doctor’s press conference here.

    Meanwhile, Dr Atif Siddiqui said that doctors are there for you but please stay at home. “We are running out of beds. We need to understand why the number of cases are increasing.”

    The list of demands by healthcare professionals included :

    • Strict enforcement of lockdown and prevention of congregation of all sorts
    • People will have to cooperate. Do not leave your houses
    • Request the business community to reconsider opening businesses
    • Appeal to religious scholars to review decision to keep mosques open
  • ‘An absolute idiot moment on my part’: Ushna Shah apologises for criticising doctors for dancing

    ‘An absolute idiot moment on my part’: Ushna Shah apologises for criticising doctors for dancing

    After sparking outrage for her comments on doctors and healthcare workers across the globe for dancing to lift their spirits, Ushna Shah has since then apologised for her remarks.

    Read more – Ushna Shah thinks doctors are wasting ‘precious time’ by dancing

    In a long post shared on social media, Ushna said that she was confused over the matter and wanted people’s thoughts on it before she formed an opinion.

    “However, that momentary confusion was tone-deaf and unwarranted. I don’t work in a hospital, I don’t know what the frontliners are going through. Frankly, I don’t even get to have an opinion on this,” she wrote, adding that she has made it a point to thank them in whatever way she can.

    “I vehemently apologise for any offense caused what so ever. I am in absolutely no position to question anything doctors and nurses to to take the edge off.”

    “We owe them our lives,” she remarked.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-xHAMShxGG/

    On Thursday, Ushna had said that while she understands that doctors need their breaks, she is confused over whether the doctors are wasting their precious time doing this. She later deleted her tweet. However, social media was quick to call her out for her ignorant remarks.

  • Ushna Shah thinks doctors are wasting ‘precious time’ by dancing

    Ushna Shah thinks doctors are wasting ‘precious time’ by dancing

    If there is one actor who keeps ending up in the line of fire, it’s Ushna Shah. But that is probably because her comments are usually unfiltered.

    As the coronavirus grapples the world, doctors and healthcare workers across the world are under immense pressure as they deal with the rising number of cases. In order to uplift their spirits and deal with the crisis, medical staff at various hospitals have been dancing away their blues.

    Read more – Doctors worldwide are dancing as coronavirus patients recover

    Ushna, in a recent tweet, said that while she understands that doctors need their breaks, she is confused over whether the doctors are wasting their precious time doing this.

    Though Ushna later deleted her tweet, social media did not spare her.

    https://twitter.com/adambeyzaar/status/1248253782066188289?s=20
    https://twitter.com/kaif_hameed/status/1248221478753107968?s=20

    What’s confusing is that just a few hours ago, Ushna had shared a video of herself stitching hazmat suits for medical staff.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-tnhovBlcL/

    Read more – Ushna Shah responds to ‘pizza guy’ Twitter backlash

    It is pertinent to mention here that doctors across the world are being lauded for putting their lives at risk and fighting on the frontlines against coronavirus.

  • Miss England 2019 gives up her pageant crown for a doctor’s gown

    Miss England 2019 is hanging up her crown (for now) to focus on the coronavirus pandemic.

    Bhasha Mukherjee, 24, was a junior doctor specialising in respiratory medicine before competing in the Miss World pageant on behalf of England in December 2019. Although continuing her work at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, after taking home her Miss England sash, she had planned to put her medical career on hold to travel the world for various humanitarian efforts after her latest competition. However, four weeks into her ambassadorship in India on behalf of Coventry Mercia Lions Club, where she donated stationery to schools and gave money to a home for abandoned girls, news broke that COVID-19 was spreading rapidly back home in the UK.

    After Mukherjee started receiving messages from former colleagues about the worsening situation at her hospital, she knew she had to pick up where she had left off. She told CNN she felt she needed to be more hands-on during the pandemic.

    “When you are doing all this humanitarian work abroad, you’re still expected to put the crown on, get ready…look pretty,” she said. “I wanted to come back home. I wanted to come and go straight to work.”

    “This is what I’d got this degree for and what better time to be part of this particular sector than now?” she said. “It was incredible the way the whole world was celebrating all key workers, and I wanted to be one of those, and I knew I could help.”

    On April 5, Queen Elizabeth II made a rare address to the British public, thanking health care and essential workers for their tireless effort responding to COVID-19.

    “I want to thank everyone on the NHS front line, as well as care workers and those carrying out essential roles who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all,” she said. “I’m sure the nation will join me in ensuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times.”

    The queen finished her speech with a hopeful message. “We can take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return,” she said. “We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again.”

    On Wednesday, April 6, Mukherjee returned to England but still has to self-isolate for about two weeks before she can return to work as a doctor at the Pilgrim Hospital, where it’s all hands on deck, according to the pageant queen.

    “There’s no better time for me to be Miss England and helping England at a time of need,” she said.

  • Two Punjab doctors treating coronavirus patients get infected

    Two more Pakistani doctors have been confirmed to have contracted the novel coronavirus while treating patients, Geo reported.

    Punjab’s Primary and Secondary Health Care Department said on Friday that two doctors involved in the fight against coronavirus had tested positive for the disease.

    The spokesperson for the department stated that the doctors had been performing their duties at a quarantine centre in Dera Ghazi Khan when they started showing symptoms associated with COVID-19.

    Both doctors have since been confined to an isolation ward and are out of danger, added the statement.

    Earlier, a doctor had lost his life in Gilgit-Baltistan while performing his duties at one of the quarantine centres in the region.

    Meanwhile, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 1,257 on Friday after more people tested positive in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Islamabad.

    The country also recorded its ninth death due to the virus while at least 24,000 deaths have been recorded globally, more than 15,500 of which are in Europe since the virus first emerged in December.

    More than 532,000 declared virus cases have been registered in 199 countries and territories of which at least 268,191 are in Europe, the worst-hit continent.

    The countries with the most deaths include Italy with 8,165 deaths out of 80,539 declared infections, Spain with 4,089 deaths out of 56,188 cases, mainland China with 3,287 deaths out of 81,285 cases, Iran with 2,234 deaths out of 29,406 cases, and France with 1,696 fatalities out of 29,155 cases.

  • CM Balochistan wants you to clap your hands

    CM Balochistan wants you to clap your hands

    Chief Minister of Balochistan, Jam Kamal wants people to support their doctors and medical staff by coming out on their balconies, roofs, and windows, clapping their hands and flashing their mobile lights to appreciate the doctors working to help people during the coronavirus pandemic.

    The CM is not wrong. Different countries have been using this technique to give moral support to their medical workers.

    People clap from their windows in support of medical staff in Paris, France
    Photograph: Omar Havana/Getty Images
    A woman applauds doctors and nurses fighting coronavirus as part of a nationwide initiative to show unity and support in Sofia, Bulgaria
    Photograph: Dimitar Kyosemarliev/Reuters
    Family members applaud from their balconies during a call on social media to thank Spanish medical staff in Ronda, Spain
    Photograph: Jon Nazca/Reuters
    A man plays the violin from a balcony to raise morale in Berlin, Germany
    Photograph: Paweł Kopczyński/Reuters
    People hold up their smartphones on a balcony as part of nationwide flash mob to light up Rome, Italy
    Photograph: Alberto Lingria/Reuters
  • Police trying to save PM’s nephew? Hassaan Niazi’s name excluded from FIRs

    Police trying to save PM’s nephew? Hassaan Niazi’s name excluded from FIRs

    The police, in an attempt to favour Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s nephew Barrister Hassaan Niazi, have allegedly excluded his name from the cases registered against the lawyers who attacked the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) in Lahore on Wednesday, Dawn reported.

    According to reports, an official has claimed that a mobile phone footage showing Niazi pelting cops with stones Jail Road had surfaced, however, the police had neither nominated him in the FIRs [First Information Reports] nor detained him.

    The authorities have registered two FIRs against 250 lawyers after they stormed the state-run cardiac hospital, damaged public property and beat up government officials, including Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, on Wednesday.

    Police have booked the protesters under terrorism, murder and street crime charges in the FIRs lodged on the complaint of the hospital’s chief executive and SHO concerned.

    Moreover, police authorities, after going through several CCTV/mobile phone footage and obtaining credible information from different sources, have nominated 21 lawyers in the FIRs.

    A senior police officer, however, has denied the allegation of favouring PM’s nephew, saying all the lawyers, who participated in the violent protest, would be treated equally.

    He said that Hassaan was among the 250 lawyers who had gone underground to avoid arrest and the police were carrying out raids for their arrest. “46 lawyers have been arrested so far,” the official added.

  • Punjab IG’s office to also be protected by Rangers after lawyers’ protest

    Punjab IG’s office to also be protected by Rangers after lawyers’ protest

    Following the attack on the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), the government has decided to deploy Rangers at important locations of the city including IGP [Inspector General of Police] office.

    Journalist Talat Hussain in his recent tweet has shared an official order from the government in which the interior ministry has directed the home department to deploy of rangers outside state institutes for maintainance of law and order in the city.

    According to the interior ministry’s order, 10 platoons and two companies of the paramilitary force have been deployed in the city. Other important places where platoons will be stationed include Governor House and at the area surrounding Lahore GOR I and II among others.

    The paramilitary force has been deployed under the Pakistan Rangers Ordinance 1959 provision seven and 10.

    Lawyers on Wednesday stormed the emergency ward of the PIC, vandalising public property, setting a police vehicle on fire and attacking provincial minister Fayyaz ul Hasan Chohan.

    The attack resulted into deaths of four people, while several patients were forced out of the building to sit on footpaths. The mob also destroyed millions worth of health equipment inside the hospital and caused damaged to the hospital building.