Punjab health department sets up isolation wards

The health department instructs doctors, nurses and medical staff to spread awareness among patients

LAHORE: Punjab Health Department on Thursday issued an alert to all the teaching and district headquarters hospitals and instructed them to set up isolation wards and help desks for citizens.

Four major hospitals of Punjab namely Services Hospital Lahore, Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, Allied Hospital Faisalabad and Nishtar Hospital Multan would ensure ideal arrangements to contain coronavirus, whereas the rest of the hospitals would arrange best possible facilities to deal with the epidemic.

The health department instructed doctors, nurses and medical staff to volunteer and inculcate awareness among patients and the general public to adopt safety measures to protect themselves from the deadly virus.

All DHQ and THQ hospital administrations have been instructed to submit a daily report to the health department on the incidence of coronavirus.

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They were further directed to conduct awareness seminars and provide masks and guidance to the patients.

Senior professors, specialists, nursing and paramedical staff have been asked to ensure 24 hours availability at the hospital, while concerned departments would monitor the isolation wards.

Medical experts have warned that anyone whose body temperature crosses 100°C, experiences runny nose, increase in breathing rate and develops a red face should be isolated immediately.

"We have set up isolation wards at our hospitals and are following the standard operating procedures issued by the Punjab Health Department,” Dr Muhammad Akbar, MS Kot Khawaja Saeed hospital, said.

“Now we are ready to counter coronavirus,” he claimed.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2020.