KARACHI: The government must investigate and separately notify cases of health workers testing positive for the coronavirus to discourage misinformation and to effectively address lapses in the system.

This was shared by health experts who spoke with Dawn in the backdrop of media reports suggesting that a number of health workers, including doctors, had contracted the coronavirus in the country.

So far, according to media reports, such cases have been reported in Karachi (at least five), Sukkur (one case), Larkana (one suspected case), Khairpur (one case) Multan (five suspected cases), Rawalpindi (one case) and D.G. Khan (one case).

Last week, young physician Dr Usama Riaz became the first Pakistani doctor who died of Covid-19. He was involved in screening suspected coronavirus patients arriving in Gilgit-Baltistan from abroad.

‘So far, we have information about only a doctor who has contracted the virus at a Khaipur hospital’

According to health professionals, this trend indicates that many health workers are still working without sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment and that they might also be negligent in handling asymptomatic coronavirus patients — a potential source of the virus transmission.

In the case of Sindh, however, only one case was officially confirmed by the health department when asked to comment on the subject.

“So far, we have information about only a doctor who has contracted the virus at a Khaipur hospital,” said health department spokesperson Atif Vighio, admitting shortages in providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to the staff at the taluka level.

“Right now, the silent carriers of coronavirus (Covid-19 patients without symptoms) have become a real challenge for us (which are causing infection in hospital settings). To address this, all healthcare staff needs to have PPE,” he said, adding that the staff at government-designated quarantines and isolation wards were fully equipped with PPE.

In Karachi, sources said, several cases of coronavirus infection have been reported among healthcare workers at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) and the Liaquat National Hospital (LNH).

In a statement, the LNH clarified that “there is no case of hospital acquired infection. One of the doctors who recently attended the Raiwand religious congregation was tested positive for coronavirus.

He has been quarantined at home for the past 10 days.”

The AKUH, however, neither denied nor confirmed the information. “Similar to the experience across the globe, in a pandemic of this magnitude, it is probable for healthcare professionals to become exposed and some may even contract the infection, despite following the strictest of infection control practices, in line with the international guidelines “At AKUH, any healthcare staff who may be exposed are immediately tested and provided appropriate care,” reads a statement of the hospital.

Commenting on the subject, Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, a senior family physician and the general secretary of the Pakistan Medical Association-Karachi, said it’s literally impossible to hide information in this day and age. Hence, it’s better to state facts.

“Second, concealing information means that you are not just damaging public trust but also putting lives of patients and healthcare workers at risk.”

He further said the health department must take charge, investigate and separately release data on health workers testing positive for the coronavirus.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2020