Khalida Niaz

PESHAWAR: The coronavirus patients in the Police Services Hospital Peshawar have called upon the government to provide them food along with medicines as their family members have also been put into quarantine and they cannot bring food for them.

One such patient is from Khyber tribal district – 30-year-old Adil Rehman – who is facing difficulties due to non-availability of food.

Adil Rehman told TNN that he was only provided mineral water at the Police Services Hospital and no food was provided to him. He said the hospital administration has asked him to arrange food for himself, but his family has also been put in quarantine in Khyber district.

“How my family will bring food for me from quarantine,” he asked. Adil Rehman said he suffered from respiratory difficulty eight days ago and then he developed chest and throat infection and high fever. He said he went to a local doctor, but he did not administer injection due to high fever. He said he went to a private hospital which referred him to Police Services Hospital where he was admitted after his coronavirus test returned as positive.

Adil Rehman said he has been given a separate room at the hospital and his treatment is being done in a good manner, but he is facing difficulties in finding food. He said his condition is improving after regular check up by doctors.

Family under quarantine

Ayub Khan, father of Adil Rehman, said the Health Department officials came to his residence after confirmation of coronavirus in his son and asked few questions. He said Adil has four children and he often goes to China for business. He said his son and rest of the family were quite healthy when his son returned from China in October 2019.

Ayub Khan said the administration quarantined the whole family inside the house and promised to provide everything, but did not provide anything. He said he is extremely worried for his son in hospital who has not been given food. He said he will be compelled to break out of quarantine if his son was not given food.

Police Services Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Fakharuddin Khattak said best treatment facilities are being provided to patients, but so far there is no arrangement for food, as the government has not issued any such directions. He said 12 patients are admitted to the hospital, three of them are confirmed cases, while the results of nine others are yet to be received.

No facility at Lakki Marwat quarantine

Meanwhile, a person from an isolation ward in Lakki Marwat has shared a video on social media, complaining about lack of facilities. He claimed that the isolation ward even doesn’t have water and they even buy cough syrup from market. He said no tests of patients were conducted in the hospital.

MS of the Lakki Marwat Hospital Dr Haleemur Rehman switched off his phone when TNN tried to know his version.