KARACHI: PMA for setting up of blood sample collection centers
KARACHI, Oct 27: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA-Karachi) has appealed to the Sindh government to set up blood sample collection points at all government hospitals and dispensaries in the 18 towns of Karachi.
Dr Qaiser Sajjad, general secretary of PMA–Karachi, also underscored the need for measures to identifying the root causes of non-specified variant of VHF being reported in Karachi, and also for identifying sero-type of the Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever.The setting up of blood collection points across the city would facilitated patients, particularly those belonging to Malir, Gadap, North Karachi, Korangi, Landhi and so-forth, he said.
“This is also all the more important as blood test at the very initial phase would protect people from unwarranted medication which has proven to be extremely hazardous,” Dr Qaiser said.
Senior pathologist Dr Syed Abdul Mujib referred to reported instances of administration of anti-malaria drugs to patients actually inflicted with VHF causing further decline in their blood counts and also administration of drip leading to surge in blood pressure which did prove fatal in many cases.
Dr Qaiser Sajjad underscored the need for exempting all essential gadgets, kits from duties and taxes on a permanent basis and on sheer ground of humanitarian relief as the present outbreak of VHF, including dengue may come to an end but these would continue to be needed by people, mainly children suffering from thalassemia and other blood infections.
Meanwhile, the PMA has expressed concern over increasing cases of coin ingestion in small children from six months to three years of ages in Karachi.
The PMA release here said small children collected their Eidi of these coins and when they keep these coins in their mouth, it could go into esophagus and stuck mostly in its upper part due to its big size.
Their obstruction caused difficulties in swallowing, gagging, coughing and created panic among relatives especially in parents, it added.
PMA informed that it was a routine that at least one or two cases of coin ingestion are being attended daily in different public sector hospitals of Karachi. There were seven children attending the ENT department of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital during the last two days of Eidul Fitr with the ingestion of coin that were removed from three children through general anesthesia while in rest of children, coin passed through natural phenomena.
The PMA believes that government should look into the matter and general public be advised not to give coin, chalia, gutika, pearl, sharp object etc to small children for their safety.
