Govt spends Rs260mn to treat Covid patients at RIU: Dr. Yasmin

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid on Monday said that government was making all-out efforts to provide best healthcare services to patients and around Rs 260 million were spent to treat Covid-19 patients at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU).

Talking to media men here at RIU, she said that a new diagnostic laboratory would be setup at Benazir Bhutto Hospital for Coronavirus at the cost of Rs. 50.5 million, adding around 300 tests would be carried out at this lab on daily basis.

Commenting on the present Covid-19 situation in Rawalpindi, she said,

“Presently 87 patients were admitted in Allied Hospitals of the city while 20 new cases have been reported during last 24 hours.”

The minister further said that 11 doctors had lost their lives while providing medical treatment to the patients of Coronavirus in the province.

To a question, she informed that so far there were only eight suspected patients having symptoms of new COVID-19 variant in Pakistan including four belonged to Sindh while four were admitted in Lahore.

The blood samples of the suspected patients were sent to National Institute of Health Islamabad for lab tests, she added.

Dr. Yasmeen said that the situation was under control and no health facility was shutdown during the second wave of the pandemic, adding, free of cost tests were being carried out at the Covid management centers across the province.

To a query about the completion of RIU, she said that the Institution would be made functional within 15 days as the Covid-19 situation turns normal in the country, adding the government had provided all the funds required to complete the project.

The minister revealed that a 500-bed new hospital would be constructed in Chakwal district while a new Mother & Child hospital and nursing college was being established in Attock.

She informed that a new dental college would also be set up in Rawalpindi region besides upgrading of TB Hospital at Samli during this year.

Dr. Yasmeen said that 15-bed health facility for thalassemia patients was being set up at Holy Family and Benazir Bhutto Hospitals each.

Rejecting the rumors of the privatizations of the health facilities of the province, she informed that all out efforts were being made to provide best medical treatment facilities to the patients and initially Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) Act would be implemented only in two institutions including King Edward Medical College and Sialkot hospital for which the government would provide the funds.