BAHAWALPUR: The Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) is running short of Covid-19 pandemic testing kits.

With the shortage of coronavirus testing kits, both indoor patients and doctors particularly surgeons are facing difficulties in performing duty.

Dawn learnt that the unavailability of virus testing kits in accordance with the daily requirements of the doctors in the main operation theatre complex has forced the surgeons to give long dates to the patients who need operations.

According to BVH Emergency ward Director Dr Aamir Bokhari, the delay in the supply of testing kits has created problems for the medics who have to treat, examine and contact hundreds of patients visiting the emergency outdoor daily.

Medical Superintendent Dr Aslam Malik told Dawn that though kits were available, they were in short supply. He said the surgeons would have to reschedule patients’ operations according to the nature of surgery.

He claimed that despite problems and difficulties, the surgeons had not stopped the operations of the in-door patients.

He was of the view that the present difficult situation demanded that in-door patients (and their attendants ) should cooperate with their surgeons and wait for their turn till the availability of the testing kits.

He said 12 operating theatres in the complex in addition to four others including -- two each of gynaecology and general surgery -- were functional.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2020