K-P hospitals brace for second Covid-19 wave

Spike in daily cases recorded in the province

PESHAWAR:

The provincial health department has directed all public hospitals to prepare for a large influx of patients as a second wave of the novel coronavirus hits the province.

In a letter issued on Monday, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Health Department notified all medical teaching and district headquarters (DHQ) hospitals to gear up.

It stated that the second wave of the pandemic virus has begun with a rise in daily virus cases being recorded.

It pointed out as many as 36,649 cases have so far been reported in the province until November with 1,279 fatalities. The health department added there are currently as many as 728 active Covid-19 cases in the province.

Further, the circular stated that the increase in new cases has been recorded at 2.74 per cent over the past 10 days. Moreover, some seven districts in the province including Chitral, Upper Mansehra, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Swabi, Khyber, and Upper Dir are amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic virus during the second wave.

The health department directed all healthcare facilities to ensure the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and complete their preparations in dedicated wards for infected patients.

To cope with the second wave of Covid-19, K-P Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has already directed to take adequate measures.

CM Mahmood had said that it was necessary to have an effective mechanism in place for coordination amongst the relevant public departments for coping with any emergency.24 Meanwhile, as many as 24 staffers of the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), including doctors, nurses and other employees have contracted Covid-19 while the hospital administration has closed at least one surgical ward.

In a notification on Sunday, the KTH confirmed that 16 doctors and four nurses working in surgical ward-B of the hospital had tested positive for the virus. The ward has been closed for an indefinite period while its staff has been isolated.

The notification further read that at least four employees of the orthopaedic department have also tested positive for the virus.

PDM asked to cancel rally

Meanwhile, K-P Labour and Culture Minister Shaukat Yousafzai have asked the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to cancel its upcoming rally, scheduled for November 22 in Peshawar, keeping in view the second wave of Covid-19.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2020.