Covid-19: Punjab govt increases health sector capacity

Daily testing limit reaches 12,000 as number of virus cases crosses 68,300

LAHORE: The Punjab government has increased health sector capacity to cater to the high number of coronavirus patients.

Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that the province has achieved daily coronavirus testing capacity of 12,000 besides increasing the number of beds in high dependency units across the province.

Presiding over the cabinet committee on coronavirus meeting through video link on Tuesday, the chief minister took stock of the latest situation in the province and expressed satisfaction over arrangements to deal with the pandemic.

It was highlighted in the meeting that the daily testing capacity has reached 12,000 while total number of coronavirus patients across Punjab has crossed 68,308, of whom 19,580 patients had recovered and 3,498 others were under treatment in different hospitals in the province.

The participants were told that the number of high dependency unit beds in hospitals in the provincial capital had been increased from 671 to 1,228.

The number of beds with oxygen facility in Rawalpindi’s hospitals is being increased from 227 to 607, while 58 additional beds have been arranged for coronavirus patients in Nishtar Hospital, Multan.

The chief minister was informed that with the collaboration of the federal government, 66 ventilators had been provided to Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Nishtar Hospital, Multan, Urology Hospital, Rawalpindi, Social Security Hospital, Lahore and Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI), Lahore.

The meeting also approved revised standard operating procedures (SOPs) for burial of coronavirus patients under which family members of the victim could also give bath to the deceased while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

The chief minister directed the authorities concerned to continue crackdown against hoarding and profiteering of essential medicines and asked the administration officials to submit a report.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2020.