ISLAMABAD: As 91 employees of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) have been infected with the novel coronavirus, the hospital management has decided to conduct an epidemiological study to know the reason behind such a huge number of infections among its employees.

Moreover, after getting 12 incomplete ventilators Pims has contacted the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to provide the missing accessories to ensure the treatment of critical patients.

A doctor of Pims, requesting not to be quoted, said sofar 91 doctors, nurses and other employees of the hospital have been diagnosed with the virus and one has died.

Epidemiological study is conducted to determine the circumstances that led to exposure to a disease. Researchers measure or assess the outcome. The study can be experimental or observational based on the approach used to assess whether exposure and an outcome are associated.`In the neurosurgery department, 13 doctors and two nurses have been infected while in the nephrology department the virus had been detected in three doctors, 13 staffers and three sanitary workers. In gastro, two doctors and one staff member, in neurology department one doctor, in radiology four doctors and in urology department three doctors have been infected,` he said.

As many as eight doctors have been infected in the Mother and Child Hospit al.

In peads surgery and operation theatre, two doctors and nine staff members, three employees in anesthesia departments, two doctors in ortho, five doctors in general medicine and one doctor in the oromaxillofacial surgery are infected, he said.

`Three doctors, one staffer and one sanitary worker in peads, one staffer in cardiac surgery, two doctors in general surgery, three doctors in admin, two in ophthalmology, one staff member in pathology and two doctors in other departments have been infected,` he said.

Young Consultants Association Pakistan Chairman Dr Asfandyar Khan said majority of infected healthcare providers were working outside the corona ward.

`This shows that how much the general population has been exposed to coronavirus and they are carriers causing transmission of the disease to healthcare work-ers. These workers are then a hazard for their patients as well as families.

He said the government was still insisting that protective equipment should be given only to those who work in isolation wards.

`I suggest that the Out Patient Departments (OPDs) should be closed and the focus should be on telemedicine.

We need to formulate a local policy which if feasible and acceptable can be shared with other institutions. I believe that all frontline healthcare professionals need protective gears to protect themselves and stop transmission. Only one attendant be allowed with a patient. Wearing good quality mask be declared mandatory for both patient and attendant,` Dr Khan said.

Meanwhile, health expert Dr Sharif Astori, who has retired from Polyclinic, said the government should not consider opening of the OPDs of public sector hospitals.

`OPDs were closed when there were a few hundred cases and now they are being opened when the cases have increased to tens of thousands,` he said.

When contacted, Pims Joint Executive Director Dr Minhajus Siraj confirmed that 91 healthcare providers in the hospital had been infected with Covid-19.

`As a majority of employees working in departments other than isolation wards have been infected I have directed to hold the epidemiological study. After gettingthe report, we will be in a better position to take further steps,` he said.

Replying a question, Dr Siraj said there was no lack of PPEs in the hospital.

Pims gets 12 ventilators without accessories The Pims administration has contacted NDMA to arrange the missing accessories of the 12 ventilators provided to the hospital.

Dr Siraj said initially there were eight ventilators in the isolation ward but a few days ago it was decided to shift three ventilators from the cardiac ICU to the isolation ward.

`Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza visited the hospital twice during the current week and asked about our issues. Later, because of his intervention we got 12 ventilators without the accessories they are of no use.

So we have written to the NDMA to provide us the missing accessories,` he said.

When asked about the missing accessories, Dr Siraj said the ventilators had manual monitors which needed to be replaced with cardiac monitors.

`Moreover, the ventilators lack infusion pumps which are used for monitoring and controlling administration of medicines such as injections. We hope that NDMA will provide us the accessories at the earliest and after that we will have overall 23 ventilators for the treatment of Covid-19 patients,` he said.