Only 28% ventilators in use for Covid patients: Dr Mirza

Says there is no shortage of hospital beds or other facilities

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Sunday dispelled the impression that there was a shortage of hospital beds, ventilators or other facilities for Covid-19 patients.

“Only 28% of the available ventilators are currently being used for coronavirus patients,” he said while addressing a news conference.

“There are 723 patients who are in a critical condition and 201 of them are on ventilators,” he added

Dr Mirza said the highest number of deaths from coronavirus -- 88 --had been reported across the country during the last 24 hours.

“However, there is no crisis like situation in the country and there is no truth in the reports that hospitals are overwhelmed.”

The state minister said a resource management system (RMS) had been developed to collect and provide real-time information about coronavirus patients across the country.

Giving details of the RMS, National Information Technology Board (NITB) Chief Executive Officer Shabahat Ali said 1,500 hospitals in the country had been linked with the system.

“These hospitals can individually update real-time data to provide a unified and consolidated picture of the resources available to treat patients in various hospitals,” he added.

The NITB CEO said social welfare organisations including Edhi Foundation and Rescue 1122 would also be given access to the RMS so that they could receive updated information about the availability of beds, ventilators for Covid-19 patients and personal protection equipment.

“The National Emergency APP which will provide information to healthcare providers about the availability of ventilators and medical aid for Covid-19 patients,” he added.

“Using this application the medical emergency services like 1122 can take the coronavirus patient to the nearest available health facility,” he said, adding that the application would help in providing prompt medical treatment to the Covid-19 patients.

Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, who heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Covid-19, had recently directed the provinces to share their efforts against the disease and the latest information about the pandemic in their areas with the RMS.

The nationwide tally of Covid-19 cases has nearly reached 80,000 while over 1,500 patients had died of the disease.

On Friday, Dr Mirza had urged people not to let their guard down against Covid-19 as the number of cases and deaths could increase in the country in coming day.

He said that the rising number of patients being reported was because of the increased testing capacity. “The federal and provincial governments are working in tandem on all the decisions to contain Covid-19.”