DADU: Young doctors boycotted duties at all wards of Dadu Civil Hospital on Friday in protest against district health officer’s failure to supply them personal protective equipment for handling coronavirus patients.

Pakistan Medical Association Dadu chapter president Dr Amjad Hussain Mastoi said that all protective equipment and masks meant for doctors were provided to people other than doctors by DHO Dr Zahid Hussain Dawachh while doctors at the civil hospital and other government hospitals were performing duties without protective gear.

Doctors boycotted duties and held protest at the gate of the civil hospital. They threatened if the protective gear was not provided to them, they would not perform duties and continue protest.

MIRPURKHAS: The isolation centre for Covid-19 patients set up at under-construction building of district headquarters hospital lacked necessary equipment, facilities and staff.

An official said on condition of anonymity that the facility required five doctors, E&T specialist doctor and technicians for taking blood samples of suspected patients and protective gear for doctors and paramedical staff.

He said that though there was no suspected patient lodged at the centre but if a patient was shifted there and if he or she died then there was no one to bury the body.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2020