Lady Reading Hospital director says the whole society is disturbed over COVID-19 pandemic and the numbers of psychiatric cases are increasing
PESHAWAR - Violence against health workers and psychiatric cases have registered an increase amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, say healthcare providers.
Speaking to The Nation here yesterday, Lady Reading Hospital Director Khalid Masood said that the whole society is disturbed over the COVID-19 pandemic, and the psychiatric cases are also on the rise.
“How can a doctor intentionally let a patient die? It is unimaginable; the health staff have put their own life at risk but they want to care for the coronavirus and other patients as they consider it their duty,” he added.
He said that the LRH, which is KP’s biggest public sector hospital, has successfully treated 121 patients so far and all of them have been discharged from the hospital.
He also said that the LRH corona complex is the biggest one in the province where ICUs beds and ventilators are also available for the patients in a sufficient quantity.
He added that besides treatment of covid-19 patients, around 70 major operations are being performed in the hospital on a daily basis including general surgeries, child surgeries, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, gynae, burns, ENT, etc.
Hayatabad Medical Complex Director Dr Shahzad Akbar said that the hospital management had handed over an attendant to police after he turned violent against a doctor in the health facility.
“From now onwards, we have declared zero-tolerance for any violence by patients or their attendants and we will arrest them,” he added.
He said that most people feel guilt after they present their patients very late in the hospitals. “The issue is that because of limited understanding in KP, people did not accept that coronavirus is really a disease. Then conspiracy theories began that it is a tool to get money from IMF. And the problem with attendants is that when they feel guilt in case of deaths of patients due to their late presentation before doctors, they vent their anger on health workers,” Dr Shahzad maintained.
He also said that HMC is the lone hospital of KP having started treatment of corona patients through plasma on trial basis.
A psychiatrist based in Peshawar also said that previously violence against health workers used to happen in emergency department of the hospital sometimes. However, he added that the coronavirus pandemic has also increased psychiatry cases.
He added there has been in increase in patients who need counselling due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic
