PMA demands inquiry into doctor’s death in Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) General Secretary, Dr Qaisar Sajjad has demanded of the Sindh government to conduct an inquiry into the death of Dr Furqan.

According to PMA Secretary General, Dr Furqanul Haq had tested positive for the COVID-19 and had self-isolated at home.

“He started having difficulty in breathing from Saturday. Dr Haq had tried to get himself admitted to any of the isolation wards but was unable to receive medical treatment”, the PMA secretary added.

Dr Sajjad said the deceased needed to be put on a ventilator however could not find the facility despite visiting several hospitals in the city.

He said after his health condition deteriorated at home, the family moved to different hospitals including Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) and Indus Hospital however, they were sent back due to non-availability of ventilators.

Dr Furqan kept fighting for life at ambulance for two hours; however, he lost his life when the family brought him to Dow’s Ojha Hospital on Sunday, he said.

“It should be directed to the all hospitals not to refuse a doctor or his family member suffering from the COVID-19 from treatment.”  He added.

Dr Furqanul Haq who had recently retired from the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases is the third doctor in Karachi to have fallen victim to the COVID-19.

Earlier, Dr Abdul Qadir Soomro and gynecologist, Dr Zubaida Sattar had passed away after contracting the COVID-19 in the metropolis.

Doctors have repeatedly warned the government that the country’s healthcare system will collapse if a severe lockdown is not imposed to limit the spread of the COVID-19.

Doctors across the country have complained that the medical community was not being given with personal protective gear, making them vulnerable to the COVID-19.

The latest incident has exposed corruption, mismanagement and healthcare system of the Sindh province as Dr Furqan lost his life due to non-availability of ventilators in government hospitals.

It emerged that most of the ventilators in the government hospitals were out of order despite the high claims of Sindh government to spend more than Rs 2 billion on health facilities to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.