SHC directs hospitals to continue OPDs

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday directed the city’s public and private hospitals to continue their OPDs, first aid and emergency services in the larger public interest. The direction came on a petition seeking direction to hospitals for providing first aid to every patient at initial stage without calling/asking for producing the Covid-19 test.

Assistant Director Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center and deputy medical superintendent Civil Hospital submitted that their hospitals were providing outdoor patient services and emergency services to patients and sought time to file comments.

The counsel of private hospitals, including Aga Khan University, Liaquat National and South City hospitals, also submitted that their hospitals were already operating emergency services and outdoor patient services taking precautionary measures in the wake of Covid-19 and sought time to reply. The SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, observed that none have appeared on behalf of Ziauddin Hospital, National Medical Center and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and repeated notices to them for filing the comments.