This doctor’s ‘virus-free’ clinic in rural area a big hit
Medical facility bifurcated with a glass wall
APakistani doctor hailing from a remote city of Punjab has set an example for other doctors of his locality by improvising his private clinic into a virus-free facility and by following the accepted standards and protocol for examining patients.
Dr. Zafar Ehsan a paediatrician and a skin specialist in Punjab’s southern district Layyah has bifurcated his clinic into two halves with a glass wall rising from the floor to the ceiling.
This is not an unusual thing in big cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. However, for people of far flung areas, this is something they are not used to.
Sitting in one half of the room the doctor examines/interviews the patient who sits in the other half. There is no hole in the glass screen that could allow the patient’s breath to travel from one part to the other.
The doctor and the patient communicate to each other through a cell phone and an attendant helps facilitate the uninterrupted communication between the two.
Speaking to Gulf News , Dr Ehsan,48,said:“Initially,we had made up the mind that we would not resume practice unless the virus threat is completely over. However, as the days passed by there was no sign of life returning to normalisation and it became gradually clear to us that one has to learn to live with coronavirus.”
“We make sure all patients wear masks before entering the clinic. They are also properly sanitised,” he said.