New Covid lab to be set up at BBH, says Dr Yasmin

300 tests will be conducted on a daily basis

The Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Monday said that the government is making allout efforts to provide best healthcare services as around Rs260 million were spent to treat novel coronavirus (Covid-19) patients at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU).

She shared that a new diagnostic laboratory would be setup at Benazir Bhutto Hospital for coronavirus at the cost of Rs50.5 million, adding that around 300 tests would be carried out at the facility on a daily basis. Commenting on the present Covid-19 situation in Rawalpindi, the minister said, "Presently 87 patients are admitted at Allied Hospitals in the city while 20 new cases have been reported during the last 24 hours.

" She mentioned that 11 doctors have lost their lives while providing medical treatment to Covid patients in the province. Dr Yasmin further informed that as of yet there are eight suspected patients with the symptoms of the new Covid variant in the country with four cases each in Sindh and Lahore.

The blood samples of the suspected patients were sent to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad for lab tests, she added. The minister maintained that the situation is under control and shared that no health facility was shut down during the second wave of the pandemic. Moreover, she said free of cost tests were being carried out at Covid management centres across the province.

Responding to a query regarding the completion of RIU, Dr Yasmin said that the Institution will be functional within 15 days as the Covid situation becomes relatively normal in the country, adding that the government had provided all the funds required to complete the project. The minister further revealed that a 500-bed new hospital would be constructed in Chakwal district while a new hospital for women and children as well as a nursing college is being built in Attock.

She informed that a new dental college would also be set up in Rawalpindi besides upgrading of TB Hospital at Samli during the year. Dr Yasmin said that a 15-bed health facility for thalassemia patients was also being set up at both Holy Family and Benazir Bhutto Hospitals. Rejecting rumors of privatisation of health facilities of the province, she informed that all out efforts were being made to provide best medical treatment facilities to the patients and the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Act would be implemented initially in two institutions only, King Edward Medical College and Sialkot Hospital, for which the government would provide the funds.