Weekly holidays of health workers cancelled amid measles outbreak

The government has cancelled weekly holidays and earned leaves for doctors, nurses and other health workers to contain the current measles outbreak.

Authorities have also instructed all the private health facilities of the country to admit patients with measles infection and related symptoms amid reports that some private hospitals are refusing to take them in.

On Tuesday, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued directives in this regard.

In a notification DGHS said that amid the ongoing adverse situation uninterrupted medical services and a strengthened vaccination campaign is essential. To this end, all the regular holidays and earned leaves for the health workers employed at DGHS and all facilities operating under it have been cancelled.

Furthermore, a separate order stated that private hospitals and health facilities can no longer decline to admit patients with measles and symptoms.

Rather, they have to facilitate separate ward and cabins for the patients to prevent a potential spread of infections to other patients, the government order read.

The private hospitals will also have to keep half of their reserved free-of-cost beds for measles and related patients. Under a 2021 law, private hospitals were already required to keep 10% of their beds free-of-cost for poor patients.

Private hospitals have also been asked to display the information prominently on separate facilities for measles patients at emergency departments and inquiry desks.