Field hospitals set up along procession routes

The Punjab government has alerted all district and tehsil headquarters hospitals in the province for Ashura and cancelled the holidays of the medical and non-teaching staff.

The government has also set up field hospitals along the procession routes and emergency ambulance services will be available in all major districts.

The government advised the medical superintendents of all the hospitals to make the best arrangements on the occasion. The holidays of senior professors were also cancelled.

As per the government instructions, the ambulance services of the public hospitals will remain alert and the health facilities were also advised to keep open their blood banks.

The hospital administrations across Punjab were advised to establish a duty roster of the staffers to perform duties on the Ashura day and display it in front of the emergency wards.

Officials said the provincial government had alerted all its hospitals to provide maximum treatment facilities to the public on Muharram 10.

It has been observed that a record number of mourners are brought to the hospitals on the day because of various health issues.

A spokesman for the Punjab Health Department said comprehensive arrangements had been planned to provide treatment facilities to the mourners and an alert had been issued to all government hospitals in this regard.

The medical superintendents of all hospitals were instructed to ensure the availability round the clock of medical facilities in the emergency wards and outpatient departments.

A monitoring system has also been put in place by the health department to monitor the hospital arrangements and duties have been assigned to the officials concerned to implement the instructions.

Both the ministers for primary and secondary healthcare, and specialised healthcare and medical education will carry out surprise visits to hospitals in various districts to check the treatment facilities.

"Extensive arrangements have been made to provide treatment facilities to the public and our emergency services are available day and night during the Muharram holidays. The operation theatres area also functioning,” said Punjab Health Department spokesman Sayed Hamad Raza.