PIMS shuts OPDs for 90 days

The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has decided to shut down Outpatient Departments (OPDs) for three months due to the prevailing novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic situation.

The management of the capital’s largest tertiary public health care facility took the decision due to the mounting cases Covid-19, Pims officials told The Express Tribune. As of Wednesday 115 out 105 beds for coronavirus infected patients are occupied, they said.

The healthcare facility would once again take the course of consulting patients in the emergency department only. The patients suffering from minor illnesses would not be entertained.

Meanwhile, Pims management has also decided to carry out surgeries only deemed as of emergency nature.

However, the Mother and Children Hospital (MCH) of Pims, the cardiac centre, and burns centre would remain functional in routine.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the management has also decided to allocate two wards for the Covid-19 patients.

Covid tests at Judicial Complex

A team of the Islamabad District Health Authority (DHA) reached the Judicial Complex of the federal capital for testing of judges and employees after surfacing of three positive cases.

Three employees of the judicial complex including police personnel tested positive for coronavirus Wednesday. Following this, the health authority decided to conduct coronavirus tests of all judges and other staff.

In a letter to the district administration, the judicial complex registrar had requested the health authority to dispatch a team to the Islamabad judicial complex immediately.

In response to this, DHA teams reached the complex to collect samples for testing.

Eight die in Pindi

The second wave of novel coronavirus disease claimed eight more lives in Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Anwarul Haq chairing a meeting to review anti-coronavirus arrangements at Commissioner office said that eight people have died due to this deadly virus during last 24 hours.

He said that the deceased include 56-year-old Noor Fatima,75-year-old Haji Nawab, 50-year-old Niaz,79-year-old Sakina Bibi, 54-year-old Mabri,74-year-old Sabir Khan,64-year-old Shamim Akhtar and 79-year-old Danial.

The health officials briefed the meeting that 132 more people have become victims of the pandemic during the last 24 hours out of which 124 were reported from Rawalpindi while eight belonged to other districts.

Presently 40 patients were admitted in Holy family Hospital (HFH), 18 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital BBH, five in Red Crescent Hospital, 46 at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUKT) and three at the Hearts International Hospital.

The DC directed the officials to ensure implementation of SOPs at public places. "If we want to defeat the Covid-19, we must follow the SOPs including wearing of facemasks, maintaining social distance and avoiding crowded places.”

Haq said that the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic was more deadly compared to the previous one as the numbers of patients were increasing rapidly in the district.

Meanwhile, officials informed The Express Tribune that the managements of all three allied hospitals, HFH, BBH and District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, have allocated extra wards for receiving and treating coronavirus patients.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2020.