Chairman PPP chairs meeting with doctors, nurses and paramedics from Punjab

Islamabad: Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari chaired a meeting of health organisations of Punjab on video link on Wednesday. The representatives of health organisations from Punjab apprised Chairman Bilawal of fast deteriorating situation due to Covid-19 in province of Punjab.

The representatives of health organisations welcomed the fact that there is one political leader in the country who is directly taking the viewpoint of doctors. They said that the rate of spread of Covid-19 in Punjab is very high and it is also the province where there is lack of PPEs and doctors are being targeted in Punjab. They said that in Punjab advise is taken from bureaucrats instead of doctors and even the guidelines for doctors are prepared by the bureaucrats. They said every health worker got risk allowance in Sindh whereas only three percent health staff is given risk allowance.

The doctors from Punjab said that facilities are not being provided to doctors in Punjab and doctors are hired on daily wages. They have no job security and they are putting their lives on line. Positive negative tests are being changed to negative on the recommendation of ministers in Punjab. There is no screening of doctors are conducted in Punjab. A large number of doctors who were tested positive are from emergency, gynaecology and other wards. Doctors in emergency departments are not being provided with PPEs.

Chairman Bilawal addressing the doctors and other medical experts said that the question is where did the money go which was given by IMF and other financial institutions and governments and other sources? Where did all the medical equipments go? He said that the lesson from this pandemic is that we will have to establish health infrastructure. The private health system and its hollowness has been exposed during this pandemic. Health system should not be run on the basis of profit but health facilities should be provided free of cost.

Chairman PPP said that the federal government sabotaged the lockdown by its narrative. He demanded federal government to announce package for the families of health workers including doctors. Federal government should also help Punjab government and all other provincial governments in fighting with Covid-19.

The meeting was attended by PMA president Ashraf Nizami, Dr. Azhar Ahmed Chaudhry, Dr. Shahid Malik, YDA president Dr. Salman Hasseb, Dr. Khizr, Dr. Maroof, Nurse Rubina Manzoor, and arshad Butt of paramedical staff. PPP president Qamar Zaman kaira, General secretary Chaudhry Manzoor and Dr. Khayyam of Peoples Doctors Forum were also present in the meeting.