Pakistan govt ignores COVID healthcare professionals for civil awards

The Pakistan government has ignored the frontline healthcare professionals while conferring civil awards despite their services during the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

The frontline healthcare professionals are in a state of shock because the government has included the names of only two healthcare professionals for the investiture of the civil awards, the Geo News cited The News International.

The only healthcare professionals from Sindh, whose names were among the Pakistan civil award recipients include -- Dr Shehla Baqi from the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Karachi, and Dr Muhammad Haroon Memon from Badin.

On the occasion of the country's Independence Day, President Dr Arif Alvi announced the Pakistan Civil Awards for 126 people, including foreign nationals, in recognition of their services in different fields of life.

As per the National Health Services officials, Pakistan has so far lost 168 healthcare professionals due to COVID-19, including 102 doctors, one medical student, 61 paramedics and four nurses, reported Geo News.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Medical Association counters the government data, saying that the number of fallen healthcare professionals is over 250 in the country.

One of the leading healthcare professionals, Dr Saad Khalid Niaz said, "Over 200 healthcare professionals including doctors, paramedics and nurses have died while serving patients but nobody cared to honour their services for the country and the suffering humanity."

Dr Saad, who is already a recipient of Sitara-e-Imtiaz for recognition of his services in medicine, said he was considering to return the civil award back to the President of Pakistan for ignoring the healthcare professionals, who served day and night during the pandemic and saved thousands of lives by risking their lives and that of their families.

When asked why most of the healthcare professionals were ignored while announcing the civil awards, Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar told The News that the health ministry makes recommendations for the national awards for healthcare professionals. "They (National Health Services officials) would be able to answer that. The main committee did not turn down any recommendations," he added.

Furthermore, Pakistan on Wednesday reported 1,109,274 new COVID-19 cases reported in Pakistan, 24,639 deaths and 996,426 recoveries, The Dawn reported.

( With inputs from ANI )