KARACHI, Nov 21: The house-job officers of Civil Hospital Karachi have demanded official investigation into the death of their young colleague, Yusra Afaq, who was suspected of contracting Congo virus and died at Aga Khan University Hospital on Sunday.
A number of young doctors on Monday protested over the death of the lady doctor, who had joined the Civil Hospital about three months back. They presented a list of demands to the medical superintendent of the hospital and maintained that they would not work until their demands were accepted.
A civil hospital source said that in view of the protest and sensitivity which gripped about 470 house-job doctors and other medical practitioners and paramedical staff, the CHK management initiated some actions and precautionary measures on Monday.
It was learnt that following the demands, an isolation facility was revived on Monday for anti-viral treatment of staff as well as house officers if they were suspected of being a viral haemorrhagic case. The isolation ward used to exist in the past but was abandoned some four years back, added the source.
Moreover, a three-day preventive course, including administration of tablets to house-jobbers and others at the CHK, is also being implemented from Tuesday so that confidence of health practitioners could be restored.
The house-officers also demanded for provision of surgical and examination gloves and face masks for routine use with ready access to post-exposure preventive measures; a guarantee that they would not be required to do work that was the responsibility of nurses and paramedics; financial compensation to the family of Yusra Afaq; mandatory screening for Hepatitis B and C for every patients admitted in the CHK; and vaccination of officers against the diseases.
They were of the view that no senior official from the CHK visited the private hospital to enquire about the health of Yusra.
According to CHK sources, Yusra, daughter of Mr Khalil, had married Mr Afaq about three months back. Initially, she worked at Surgical-V under Prof Javed Alam and then shifted to ENT ward.
She had recently been on a visit to Malaysia with her husband, added a source, saying that she complained about suffering fever during her new assignment in the ENT department, where she is reported to have carried out some post-operation dressings to a couple of patients.
When contacted, CHK Medical Superintendent Dr Kaleem Butt said that he had talked to the secretary health on the issue of payment of compensation to the bereaved family of Ms Yusra Afaq against the expenditures incurred till her expiry at the Aga Khan University Hospital. He said that a formal summary would be moved to the health department for approval.
He said that supply of masks and gloves had been made from Monday, while vaccination of house-officers against hepatitis would also begin in a couple of days.
About the demand of instituting enquiry, he said that it was likely that a departmental enquiry would be ordered on Tuesday, which would involve the private hospital as well. Students were perturbed over the death and they were of the view that the case of deceased doctor was not taken on a priority basis, the MS added, saying that protesting officers made a claim before him that their colleague was not provided with ventilators in time.
To a question, he said that a doctor working as a postgraduate student, Zia Ahmad of neurosurgery ward also suffered with symptoms similar to that of Yusra about two months back and was taken to Aga Khan Hospital, where he died in two or three days. He said that a test for confirmation or rejection of Congo Virus was carried out in South Africa, where doctors took at least two months for analysis.
In the meantime, the Pakistan Medical Association, Karachi, expressed concern over death of the lady doctor at the AKUH.
According to a press statement signed by PMA Secretary Dr Qaiser Sajjad, the house officer was suffering from haemorrhagic fever. “PMA Karachi is concerned over the death of two junior doctors within two months. Both the doctors were working at the Civil Hospital and died of haemorrhagic fever at the AKUH,” said the press release.
The association demanded that the government should ensure precautionary measures for all doctors, paramedical staff and healthcare workers working in government sector hospitals. It also called for immediate implementation of occupational safety measures at health facilities to avert future fatalities.
The PMA advised doctors, paramedical staff and medical students and all the health providers to take extra care when dealing with the suspicious cases. They should wear protective gear (two gloves, mask, cap and goggles etc) for their protection, it added.
KARACHI, Nov 21: The house-job officers of Civil Hospital Karachi have demanded official investigation into the death of their young colleague, Yusra Afaq, who was suspected of contracting Congo virus and died at Aga Khan University Hospital on Sunday.
