As coronavirus continues to spread through Pakistan, 50 doctors put in their resignations due to lack of personal protective equipment (PPEs), an essential for them combating deadly virus.
According to media reports, the resignations of almost 50 doctors across Punjab have been accepted by the provincial government, a notification said, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
According to a notice by the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SHCME) Department, dated June 27, the 48 doctors who stepped down had tendered in their resignations at various times this year.
Of the 48 to have resigned, 11 had handed in their resignation letters before Pakistan reported its first coronavirus case on February 26, 2020.
Doctors in Pakistan have protested over the lack of personal protective equipment (PPEs) in the country.
They also demonstrated over violence faced at the hands of both police and aggrieved families of those who lost their lives to Coronavirus.
In a joint press conference, the Young Doctors Association and Grand Health Alliance (GHA) had condemned the government’s “non-democratic” behaviour, with the GHA chairperson warning of a “country-wide movement” if the healthcare professionals’ issues were not resolved.
“Violence against young doctors will only strengthen us,” the president of YDA Kashmir was quoted as saying.
Dr Salman of YDA Punjab stressed that they would “stage a sit-in in front of Kashmir House in Islamabad” if their issues were ignored.
Across the country, Doctors remain the most affected among the healthcare providers, with officials confirming 42 have died so far battling the pandemic.
“We have so far lost the lives of 58 healthcare providers to COVID-19 in the country and still counting. They are 42 doctors, 13 paramedics and other support staff, two nurses and one medical student,” an official of the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHSR&C) said.
“At the moment, 240 healthcare providers are hospitalized, of whom 231 are in a stable condition, while nine are on life support,” the official said.
Over 5,000 health professionals including 3,000 doctors and 600 nurses have been infected by the deadly virus so far in the country.
Advertisement
Author
