RAHIM YAR KHAN: While the District Health Authority has announced hiring of new consultants and doctors at three tehsil headquarters hospitals, the doctors treating suspected coronavirus patients are performing duties on a self-supporting basis.

As many as 40 isolation rooms have been set up at Private Patient Block [with six ventilators] at Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH). A registrar, two doctors along with as many nurses were deputed at four ventilators and they work for eight days and rest for 14 days.

According to the SZMCH record, after the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country there was not a single water-resistant gown, an essential personal protective equipment (PPE), for doctors, in the hospital inventory. Similarly there were no surgical gloves, body bags, long shoes, face shields, examination gloves, alcohol-based rubs and scrubs along with Chlorine. There were only 461 respirators N95, 55 respirators N99 and nine protective goggles but surgical masks were in huge quantity - 296,850.

Mostly doctors from three main departments - palmanolgy, anaesthesia and medicine - are performing their duties at isolation rooms.

Head of palmanolgy department Prof Dr Masoodul Haq told Dawn that initially there was no PPE at the hospital and even in open market.

“Some items were present which are considered common protection gear for dengue and H1N1 flu. But Young Doctors Association immediately provided 200 surgical masks and 500 kits. Later doctors purchased 200 surgical masks and 500 cover kits from donation. Now some Pakistani American doctors are sending 900 N95 masks,” he said.

Dr Haq said many doctors were avoiding to perform duties in isolation rooms and were very much anxious. Similarly some doctors had got their duties changed from palmanolgy, anaesthesia and medicine departments, he added.

Department of behavioural sciences head Prof Dr Ali Burhan Mustafa told this correspondent that physicians, surgeons and doctors were not directly in contact with patients but medics of anaesthesia section were at the forefront [at high risk level] as they were performing duties at ventilators.

Mustafa said many doctors working in isolation rooms had expressed their sorrows that they even could not meet and cheer with their families and children.

Assistant professor mental health Dr Urooj Burhan said the excessive use of social media was also a reason for doubts and myths about coronavirus outbreak. “Owing to coronavirus scare psychological diseases are increasing.”

When contacted SZMCH focal person Rana Ilyas Ahmed said doctors in isolation ward were performing their duties very bravely but there were some medics who had anxiety too. He said now the protective measures were increased for doctors at SZMCH. “There are eight suspected patients in isolation ward. Of 52 patients, 28 were tested negative for Covid-19 and more results are being awaited.”

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2020