04th August 2020
Assalaamu Alaikum Warahmatullaahie Wabarakaatuh
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. All praises are due to the Almighty Allah in all His attributes and universal blessings upon the Leader of mankind, the beloved Nabi Muhammad (SAW), his family members and companions.
We thank Allah SWT for all His blessings and kindness as we try to deal with the challenges of the COVID19 pandemic.
On behalf of our Committee and those who are working with the Oxygen Support Group at home, we would like to thank every individual and collective that is putting in effort towards serving those patients at home by
providing oxygen concentrators and any form of home-based care. May Allah SWT reward them all for their sterling work and selfless efforts
AAMEEN.
As a precautionary measure and under advisement, we would like to WARN the public that the provision of oxygen in any form at home is NOT A
SUBSTITUTE for good clinical care and optimal management in dealing with
COVID19 patients and its complications. Home-based care MUST be
supervised and managed by a qualified Health Practitioner in the form of a
General Practitioner, a Specialist or both.
IT WOULD BE NEGLIGENT FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITHOUT THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF CARE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLETE CLINICAL SCENARIO AND PARAMETERS OF THE PATIENT.
We understand the circumstances and the psycho-social elements involved
in terms of admitting patients in hospital versus staying at home. These
challenges are great. We cannot underestimate the requirement for duas –
prayers and acknowledge the help that we need from the Almighty. Any
intervention can only be successful through the will of the Almighty.
We need to make informed decisions on a case by case basis. For all those
who have been infected, we pray that Allah SWT grants you complete
healing, shifaa and aafiyah. At the same time in terms of our responsibility,
we should endeavour to make the best decisions for the patient. This best
decision can only be done through teamwork and consultation between
family members and the treating physician.
We therefore request and appeal that you DO NOT TAKE OVER the
management of patients at home without consulting the correct and
appropriate practitioners with their expertise.
jazaakallah
Wassalaams
Dr Yakub Moosa Essack
[President of IMASA]