KARACHI: A delegation of the Pakistan Paediatric Association (PPA), Sindh, Pakistan Islamic Medical Association and ENT Society, Sindh, held a meeting with the health minister on Friday in which a consensus was developed on issues currently affecting patients and healthcare providers due to the Covid-19 epidemic.

The delegation was led by Dr Ghulam Rasool Buriro of PPA along with Prof Jamal Raza and Dr Khalid Shafi.

Prof Atif Siddiqi of the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association and Prof Shuja Farrukh representing the ENT Society Sindh were also in attendance.

During the discussion, doctors’ representatives agreed that no suspected Covid-19 patient would be refused treatment at any government or private hospital and that these hospitals would designate ward/rooms to treat suspected coronavirus patients till laboratory reports confirming their health status were made available.

To help patients, it was decided that a helpline would be set up and made public in a few days, which would be linked with a data dashboard, where information about vacant Covid-19 beds in intensive care units, high dependency units and wards would be available.

Participants also agreed that Sindh Health Care Commission would be tasked to ensure that personal protective equipment were available to each staff member of private hospitals per their requirement.

The commission would also take up complaints of private hospitals and the commission would be authorised to seal a hospital, if violation was observed.

Participants shared that Covid-19 care facilities had been arranged at major private hospitals of Karachi and other parts of Sindh, including Liaquat National Hospital, South City, Ziauddin Hospital (Clifton and North Nazimabad campuses), Patel Hospital and Altamash Hospital.

The health department officials represented by health minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho agreed to the suggestion that doctors affected by coronavirus would be allowed treatment at any designated private hospital and expenses would be borne by the government and that paramedics and doctors who sacrificed their lives while managing Covid-19 patients would be given Shuhada Package, which would be announced soon.

Vaccinators of the Expanded Programme for Immunization would be provided personal protective equipment kits to resume their duties.

Doctors’ representatives were also assured that there would be no deduction from staff salaries on account of being sick/quarantined or other unavoidable reasons and that government health staff would be paid one month’s basic salary as bonus.

It was also decided that ambulance drivers would be provided with personal protective equipment so they could help patients efficiently.

Doctors and government officials were of the opinion that all citizens should wear a mask while outside their homes, maintain social distancing and adopt frequent hand-washing practices to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2020