Doctors foresee spike in cases during June
Zubair Qureshi
After dismantling of the six-bed isolation unit at the Polyclinic hospital and shifting of coronavirus patients from there, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has become the only facility for the residents of Islamabad and even Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in case symptoms of coronavirus appear in them.
Islamabad on Tuesday reported the highest-ever increase in the number of patients (304)— from 2,589 to 2,893—during the last 24 hours and doctors as well as health experts foresee further spike in number in next three weeks.
Two more deaths in last 24 hours took the toll to 30 in the federal capital.
While talking to Pakistan Observer on Tuesday, a senior doctor of PIMS revealed the hospital had equipped itself with 27 ventilators and at present 11 were occupied. We are prepared for any kind of emergent situation in case number of coronavirus case increases, he said.
To a question whether PIMS was sending most of the patients back refusing them admission or treatment, he dismissed all such news saying only those patients were admitted who had symptoms of the virus.
On Tuesday, for instance the hospital received 117 patients/suspects of coronavirus but admitted only eight of them.
Joint Executive Director (JED) of PIMS Dr Minhajus Siraj when contacted said ventilator’s stage is the last phase of treatment when a COVID-19 patient’s health deteriorates. Before that there are seven stages to monitor the patient’s health.
After two discharged cases and two deaths, we are now having a total of 43 patients—29 in Isolation Wards and 14 in Private Wards. 11 of them are on the ventilators, he said. Our doctors, said Dr Minhaj are performing their duties with complete dedication and all of them even those above 50 are there to look after the patients risking their own lives.
Dr Minhaj, who himself is 59 and a diabetic, remains on duty (though he can excuse himself on the pretext of age) and is providing the much-desired relief to the COVID-19 patients and support to his doctors. Our doctors, he said are our asset and their professionalism and devotion are above question.
To a question on when the inquiry report regarding the reasons behind 91 PIMS doctors, nurses and paramedics are diagnosed with COVID-19, Dr Minhaj said in fact there were 77. The report will be made public on Wednesday (today), said he.
To a question why majority of Coronavirus-affected doctors were those who were not treating corona patients, he said it would be premature to say anything before the report is concluded.
However, he feared one reason for such number of paramedics falling to virus could be they observed necessary protocol and SOPs at the hospital but neglected the same at their private practices or in their social circles.