FAISALABAD: The Young Doctors Association (YDA) local chapter claims that neither oxygen supply nor beds have been increased at the Allied Hospital’s emergency ward while both facilities are crucial for the initial treatment of Covid-19 patients.

The hospital is also facing a shortage of ventilators, as only five of them are available for coronavirus patients. However, the district administration claims that there is no shortage of ventilators in the district.

Talking to Dawn, the YDA Faisalabad chapter secretary, Dr Adnan Shakir, said before the outbreak of coronavirus, the medical emergency was admitting 120 to 130 patients daily, and there were around eight oxygen cylinders. Now the number of patients, particularly those of coronavirus, was increasing with each passing day but the number of cylinders was the same, he claimed.

He said the condition in the emergency had deteriorated due to the influx of coronavirus suspects and more than a dozen patients with Covid-19 symptoms were visiting the hospital daily. Such patients needed oxygen immediately, but the medical emergency was short of cylinders, central oxygen supply points and beds for them, he added.

Ventilators remain short amid influx of Covid-19 suspects

Dr Shakir said currently the Allied Hospital was in dire need of a ward right next to the medical emergency where oxygen supply could be provided to suspected cases of coronavirus. Presently, they had only six beds for such patients the number of whom was increasing. “We can shift the coronavirus suspects to other wards after stabilising their condition,” he added.

Due to the workload and influx of patients, doctors were finding it difficult to treat patients and such a situation could lead to a fatal accident at the hospital.

A couple of days ago, he went on to say, the attendants of a patient were about to thrash doctors who were treating a Covid-19 patient. The attendants were angry that the doctors had allegedly delayed check-up of their relative, he claimed.

Sensing the situation, he said, the YDA was going to write to the hospital authorities, district administration and the Punjab government to enhance oxygen supply and set up another ward where doctors could shift Covid-19 patients after initial treatment.

“We will give a few days to the administration for provision of these facilities and if they fail then the YDA will announce its next course of action at a press conference,” Dr Shakir exclaimed.Responding to the YDA’s statements, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali termed its claims baseless. He said: “There are 20 beds with vents at the Allied Hospital of which 10 are occupied. We also have beds at the DHQ and Ghulam Muhammadabad hospitals.”

The district administration has also mapped three private hospitals in case of overflow of Covid-19 patients, he added.

The vice chancellor of Faisalabad Medical University, Dr Zafar Chaudhry, was also contacted for his comments, but he did not respond.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2020