LAHORE: The worsening situation from coronavirus has placed a strain on healthcare facilities as beds reserved for COVID-19 patients have been occupied by almost 60% across Punjab.
Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Secretary Barrister Nabeel Ahmed Awan said that 6,685 beds are reserved in all public hospitals for coronavirus patients, out of which 4,055 beds have been occupied.
The situation is worse in the Lahore where out of 1,601 beds reserved in government hospitals, 777 beds are vacant so far. Around 184,942 patients have been recovered in 200 public sector hospitals out of which 30 are situated in Lahore.
The secretary added that 3,207 beds have been arranged in isolation wards of all government hospitals in the province, out of which, 2,298 beds are vacant. He said 447 beds for coronavirus patients are reserved in isolation wards in government hospitals of Lahore and 299 beds are unoccupied.
He added that 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.
He said they arranged 660 ventilators for coronavirus 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.
It may be mentioned that Punjab is the worst affected from the coronavirus situation with 44,638 active cases. There have been 282,469 cases recorded and 7,779 deaths in the province so far.
