KARACHI: Supporting a “complete lockdown” in Ramazan at a press conference held on Friday, a group of senior doctors treating Covid-19 patients narrated the numerous challenges female healthcare providers were facing in a high-risk work environment and appealed to the public to stay at home and save lives during the holy month.

The event was organised by the Pakistan Medical Association.

Highlighting the current situation, in-charge of surgical intensive care unit at the Civil Hospital Karachi Prof Safia Zafar said 80 per cent ventilators were occupied by coronavirus patients in Sindh and, if there were a sharp increase in the number of patients, doctors would have to decide not to treat some patients and let them die.

“Since our healthcare system is fragile, the only option we have is to work hard to prevent the spread of infection. This is only possible if we implement a complete lockdown, which means no crowded shopping, no Taraweeh and Juma prayers,” she said, adding that it’s the government job to provide ration to the poor on their doorstep.

Visibly in distress while narrating the troubles junior doctors are going through these days, senior gynaecologist Dr Nusrat Shah said they had refused to go home since they were handling Covid-19 patients and feared that they would infect their parents and other family member.

“I was never helpless like this before. Every day, the department deals with patients in emergency and after operation, we find out that the patient is corona-positive,” she said.

‘It is heartbreaking to see that lots of our colleagues have gotten infected’

Dr Nusrat Shah warned that if the government failed to “control people who want business in this crisis, they will be responsible [for] mass graves in the country”.

Dr Nighat Shah of Sindh Jinnah Medical University said she was not a religious scholar but she could say that Islam was based on logic and “we have evidence that the Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) advised people not to travel in the areas of epidemic and stay home in crisis”.

“Poor families are the worst sufferers in present situation. Pregnant women are coming to hospitals with coronavirus infection and imagine what will happen to their children if they lose their mother,” she said, adding that the government should only worry about human life and human misery.

Prof Razia Korejo, president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, appreciated the provincial and federal governments for their efforts to overcome Covid-19 challenges.

“For God sake, stay at home. All public and religious leaders and civil society activists should support the government in this crisis,” she said.

Dr Farrukh Hazim of the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association said that being a pathologist she knew that this disease would spread more if people didn’t act with responsibility.

“We should act wisely and help the government perform its duty, which is desperately trying to help people and their livelihood.”

Dr Nusrat Iqbal of Al-Khidmat Hospital, Nazimabad, said that as an administrator of a hospital it’s her prime duty to protect health workers who were exposed to Covid-19 patients. “But, it is heartbreaking to see that lots of our colleagues have gotten infected, we have to live with the fear of unknown.”

During the question-answer session, speakers said in health matters the federal government should only listen to doctors and follow their instructions.

“The president of Pakistan has no right to develop non-scientific standard operation procedures. It’s the duty of doctors to make protocols and the government should follow recommendations of the WHO and National Institute of Health,” said Dr Nighat Shah in reply to a question.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2020