LHC seeks details of ventilators in Punjab hospitals

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday directed the Punjab government to provide comprehensive details regarding the availability of ventilators in government hospitals across the province while hearing a petition concerning deaths caused by measles.

Justice Malik Awais Khalid heard the petition filed by the Judicial Activism Panel, which has impleaded the Punjab government and other relevant authorities as respondents.

The petitioner submitted that hundreds of deaths had occurred in previous years due to measles and dengue, alleging that the lack of ventilators and basic healthcare facilities in public hospitals contributed significantly to the fatalities.

It was argued that many lives could have been saved if adequate medical infrastructure had been available.

The petition further requested the court to order a detailed inquiry into the measles-related deaths and assess the preparedness of public hospitals to deal with infectious disease outbreaks.

During the proceedings, Justice Khalid observed that the court must be apprised of the total number of functional ventilators currently available in hospitals across Punjab.

He directed the relevant authorities to furnish complete details at the next hearing.

The court subsequently adjourned proceedings until February 27.

Earlier on Thursday, a report was filed in response to a petition concerning measles-related deaths in the province.

The report revealed that a total of 1,695 suspected measles cases have been reported in Punjab during the first four weeks of 2026, with 330 cases confirmed through laboratory testing.

The report was filed in response to a petition concerning measles-related deaths in the province.

It stated that 40 outbreak alerts have been issued across Punjab so far this year, indicating heightened surveillance and response measures by health authorities.

In 2024, Punjab recorded 23,680 suspected measles cases, of which 6,747 were laboratory confirmed.