LAHORE: Following threat of outbreak of the coronavirus, the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) has shut down the counter that was distributing medicines to 200,000 registered heart patients.

The PIC has directed the patients to wait at home to get their medicines through the public sector courier service.

An official said around 2,000 to 2,500 registered heart patients from all over Punjab were visiting the PIC every day to collect their medicines. He said the institute had reserved a hall for the patients where they used to get medicines daily by making queues from 8am to 1pm.

The PIC admin said the decision had been taken to stop entry of the patients at the institute fearing that gathering of heart patients in such a large number could create a potential threat of transmission of the coronavirus.

“We have hired services of the General Post Office (GPO) through a contract to dispatch medicines to the patients at their home addresses,” PIC Chief Executive Prof Dr Saqib Shafi told Dawn.

While declaring it a painful step, he said, the decision was taken in the best interest of the heart patients and also following the policy of the Punjab government in the prevailing situation.

He said under the contract deal, the public sector courier service would ensure supply/distribution of the medicines to the registered patients at their homes within 24 hours.

According to the agreement, the PIC would pay Rs30 to the company for distribution of medicines to a patient residing in Lahore and Rs50 to those in other parts of the province.

“We have 0.2 million registered patients and around 50 per cent of them are from Lahore,” Prof Shafi said, adding that the institute was also having data such as mobile phone numbers of almost all the registered patients.

The PIC started distribution of medicines to the patients through courier service from Thursday.

“We are sending medicines to 2,000 patients daily under a deal for a period of three weeks or so,” he said. In case the coronavirus outbreak continued, he said, the contract period would be extended accordingly.

The PIC head said the institute would have to bear Rs100,000 as expenses daily to distribute medicines to the registered cardiac patients.

Answering a question, he said the Institute had taken Punjab Health Minister Prof Dr Yasmin Rashid on board before closing the counter.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2020