PESHAWAR: The doctors engaged in management and treatment of suspected and confirmed Covid-19 patients have suggested an extension in lockdown until April 25 to stem the spread of novel coronavirus.

The hospital staff members have already been put on ‘red alert’ in view of the rising number Covid-19 of patients.

“The selective lockdown focussing on places, where people are likely to congregate like bazaars, Friday prayers and schools, must not be allowed. The lockdown enforced by the government has helped reduced the infection a great deal,” director of the Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Dr Khalid Masud told Dawn.

According to him, the hospital has 12 Covid-19 patients with half of them being on ventilator in the intensive care unit,

Dr Masud of LRH says shutdown has stemmed virus spread a great deal

“The situation can be controlled only if the lockdown is extended until the start of the holy month of Ramazan when the people will automatically stop going out from homes needlessly,” he said.

Until Thursday, the province has recorded 620 confirmed coronavirus patients, 22 deaths and 128 recoveries, a report of the health department said.

According to it, of the 201 cases admitted to the hospitals or other centres, 181 are stable and 20 critical.

A total of 3,687 Covid-19 tests have so far been conducted in the province 2,215 of them turned out to be negative, while the results of 855 are awaited.

The report said personal protective equipment were being given away to the hospitals along with guidelines on its use for staff safety.

The Hayatabad Medical Complex has formed the Corona Combat Team (CCT) to handle the increasing number of patients and asked all trainee medical officers, consultants, nursing and paramedics to stay alert for emergency.

A circular issued to the staff members on Friday said patient arrivals were on the rise, so infected people were being shifted to the Medical A Ward and CCU, which had been made an ICU for Covid-19 patients.

“To cope with the patients’ burden, more human resources are required and all healthcare providers irrespective of their specialties are now required to join CCT,” it added.

The Board of Governors of the Khyber Teaching Hospital has also ordered the allocation of 20 ‘private rooms for staff to facilitate Covid-19 affected patients in 17-bed isolation ward and ensure uninterrupted services in the triage’.

“If patient influx increases, 15 more private rooms will be declared isolation facility and another 46-bed unit to deal with the situation,” a news release said.

It added that breakfast, lunch, evening tea, dinner and other necessities were provided to patients admitted to isolation rooms, while the staff had been deployed for their care.

Meanwhile, the labour department has decided to re-open OPDs in its hospitals in Hattar, Dera Ismail Khan, Mardan, Takht Bhai, Nowshera, Peshawar and Swabi from Monday.

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by minister for labour and culture Shaukat Yousafzai here on Friday.

The minister was informed that doctors had been trained to fight epidemic effectively.

Mr Yousafzai said the health staff was ready to help the government’s efforts to fight Covid-19.

He said arrangements would be made to ensure social distancing.

Meanwhile, representatives of doctors and nurses met health minister Taimur Khan Jhagra and extended full support in the fight against the virus.

The minister appreciated the visitors’ efforts and urged them to continue working hard to avert emergency.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2020