MULTAN - Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has urged upon Punjab govt and divisional administration for a two-week complete and effective lockdown to contain coronavirus cases. Speaking at a joint news conference at Multan Press Club on Wednesday, PMA Multan Chapter president, Dr Masoodur Rauf Hiraj said that they apprehended that if the lockdown was not imposed, the entire Nishtar hospital might turn into coronavirus hospital. He informed that PMA had time and again demanded of govt and divisional administration for complete lockdown to check the number of rising cases of global pandemic, but unfortunately, it went unheeded. Nishtar hospital has 150 patients of viral disease in seven wards at the moment, he said that of them 50 per cent were in critical conditions and were on ventilators. Dr Hiraj stated that the hospital administration was converting other wards to dedicated wards for coronavirus without any consultations ,adding, that two orthopaedic and cardiology wards were being converted to viral disease wards according to a notice which was alarming. Around 2,000 patients had been admitted to the orthopaedic ward in last two months while up-to 200 operations were conducted in the ward while up-to 30 patients got their ECHO and 100 got ECG checked besides admission of 20 emergency patients in the cardiology ward of the health facility on a daily basis, PMA president stated.
He said if situation remained the same, all wards might have to be converted into coronavirus wards.
He demanded of the Punjab govt, provincial health minister, commissioner Multan division and Nishtar hospital administration to use 260 DHQ hospital for COVID-19 patients if the need to accommodate more patients arose in coming days.
Present on the occasion were Dr Rana Khawar, Dr Tariq Waqar, Dr Abbas Naqvi, Dr Zulqarnain Haider, Dr Qadir Khan, Dr Shahzad Khattak and others.