Punjab

RIUKT’s Covid-19 centre shifted to HFH

Capital records 93 new virus cases

Our Correspondents October 12, 2020

The Punjab government has so far spent Rs450 million on the project that has a price tag of over Rs1.27 billion. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI:

Amidst fears of a second wave of the novel coronavirus, a dedicated centre to treat patients of the pandemic virus at the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant has been shifted.

It has been learnt that the last six novel coronavirus (Covid-19) patients at the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUKT) have been shifted to a ward dedicated for them at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH).

The institute is now expected to be activated as a urology centre later this month.

RIUKT had been designated as a hospital dedicated to Covid-19 patients in March this year as cases first started to soar. But with the number of new patients now falling, the last remaining patients have been transferred to the tertiary care HFH.

Even though the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department on Sunday confirmed 14 new Covid-19 cases in Rawalpindi, health officials said that any newly infected patients in a second wave will also be treated at the HFH. At the moment, 10 Covid-19 patients are being treated at HFH, including six from RIUKT.

The HFH has set up a ward for virus patients with 190 beds.

On RIUKT operating as a hospital, it was designed to become, officials said that the institute is expected to open its doors in the last week of this month.

In the first phase, the urology, emergency, outpatient department (OPD) and dialysis units will be activated. In the second phase, kidney transplant theatres will start operating.

According to sources, the urology and kidney transplant department at the Benazir Bhutto General Hospital (BBH) will also be shifted to RIUKT.

When asked, RIUKT Medical Superintendent Dr Khalid Randhawa said that preparations are underway to activate the hospital to cater to emergency, OPD and dialysis cases by the end of this month.

Rising cases

In the federal capital, the number of new Covid-19 cases continue to increase rapidly with some 93 new cases confirmed on Sunday.

A report issued by the District Health Officer (DHO) said that of those infected, 54 were men and 34 were women.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2020.