Bed occupancy rate in public hospitals swells to 60%

54 people succumb to pandemic during 24 hours

LAHORE:

Beds reserved for coronavirus patients have been occupied by almost 60% owing to an increase in coronavirus cases across the province.

Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Secretary Barrister Nabeel Ahmed Awan has disclosed that a total of 6,685 beds are reserved in all public hospitals for coronavirus patients, out of which 4,055 beds have been unoccupied.

As many as 1,601 beds reserved in government hospitals of the provincial metropolis and 777 beds are vacant so far, he added.

He highlighted that so far 184,942 patients have been recovered in 200 public sector hospitals being run under the control of Specialised and Primary and Secondary Healthcare Departments in which 30 are situated in Lahore while 720 patients were recovered during the last 24 hours.

In view of the surging coronavirus pandemic, the secretary added, the Specialised Healthcare Department has arranged 3,207 beds in isolation wards of all government hospitals in the province, out of which, 2,298 beds are vacant. However, 447 beds for corona patients are reserved in isolation wards set up in government hospitals of Lahore and 299 beds are unoccupied.

Also, 2,857 beds are also reserved in HDU for patients suffering from coronavirus in all the hospitals of Punjab government and 1,493 beds are vacant while, in hospitals of Lahore, 906 beds reserved in HDU and 439 beds are unoccupied, Nabeel Awan added.

He said that the specialised healthcare has arranged 660 ventilators for corona patients in all hospitals of the provincial government, of which 386 ventilators are under use while 274 are unoccupied. Around 246 ventilators are reserved in Lahore hospitals, of which 209 are occupied and 39 ventilators are vacant, the secretary warned.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2021.