-Give ultimatum to provide adequate PPEs on urgent basis
SUKKUR: Doctors associated with the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Monday once again urged the authorities to further tighten lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus saying cases of local transmission of the infection are on the rise.
Speaking at a press conference in Sukkur, they said the number of locally transmitted cases was low when a strict lockdown was enforced in the country. Coronavirus cases will see a spike if people venture out in large numbers, they cautioned. Doctor Iftikhar, one of the doctors, said the government should further tighten lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19. The health professionals demanded that the Sindh government keep coronavirus patients at isolation centres in their respective districts.
A group of young doctors, speaking at a press conference in Quetta the previous day, demanded that the government impose a 20-day curfew if it is unable to enforce a stricter lockdown across the province to curb the infection. They said the government will have to make tough decisions in the face of the unprecedented health emergency. The least citizens can do is to restrict their worship to their homes during Ramazan to keep the virus at bay, they said.
The young doctors urged traders to keep their businesses closed, asking if business is more important than human lives. The Grand Health Alliance has given a day ultimatum to the government to fulfill their demands, media reported on Monday.
Addressing a press conference Chairman Grand Health Alliance Dr Salman Habib said, the doctors and paramedical staff is facing shortage of the PPEs across the country. He added more than 30 per cent of the doctors and the staff have been tested positive for the coronavirus. He said that doctors serving at all government hospitals should be screened for the virus and provided the necessary equipment.
Dr Salman threatened for countrywide strike on Wednesday if their demands were not met. Last week, Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid had said that doctors who had tested positive for coronavirus in Multan and Dera Ghazi (DG) Khan have recovered from the infection.–Agencies
