LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said on Sunday that the province is witnessing an alarming rise in the numbers of critically-ill Covid-19 patients.
“We are witnessing an alarming rise in the number of critically ill patients and the numbers of positive cases are getting very high currently,” the health minister said while chairing a high-level meeting to review measures taken to contain the virus at the Chief Minister’s secretariat.
Prominent among the participants of the meeting were Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal, Chief Secretary Punjab Jawad Rafique Malik, Additional Chief Secretary Home Momin Agha, Secretary Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Barrister Nabeel Awan, Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Sarah Aslam, Commissioner Usman Younis, CCPO Ghulam Mahmood Dogar and Additional IG Sahibzada Shehzad Sultan.
Secretaries Sarah Aslam and Nabeel Awan presented analysis of cases in their respective departments, while all the commissioners from across Punjab shared updates on the implementation of corona SOPs in the meeting. Different suggestions were also presented before the participants for improvement in the situation.
The situation in worst affected cities by the latest wave came under discussion and a proposal to enhance capacity of treatment for Covid-19 was reviewed.
While expressing concerns over the shortage of ventilators due to an alarming rise in the intensive-care unit (ICU) admissions in the public sector hospitals, the health minister said they are striving to enhance the number of beds and ventilators and a proposal to procure more ventilators and other medical equipments would be tabled in the upcoming cabinet committee meeting. “Some key decisions will be made in the cabinet meeting,” she added.
Punjab Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik said the administration was on high-alert to control the pandemic and the implementation of SOPs would be ensured with the help of all stakeholders.
Earlier in the day, there were reports that the provincial health department has sent a proposal to the chief minister office requesting to further extend the smart-lockdown for another two weeks amid rising numbers of critically ill Covid-19 patients across Punjab and shortage of beds and ventilators.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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