Alarming increase of coronavirus patients in hospitals, says Punjab health secretary
April 09, 2021
- Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Secretary Nabeel Awan gives an update on worsening situation of coronavirus in Punjab.
- Says the number of patients in hospitals has doubled in the last four weeks, with over 8,000 patients admitted to hospitals in just the last few days.
- Punjab government official says patient capacity is being increased in hospitals.
The number of coronavirus patients in Punjab is increasing rapidly, Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Secretary Nabeel Awan said Friday.
Awan said the number of patients in hospitals has doubled in the last four weeks, with over 8,000 patients admitted to hospitals in just the last few days.
The Punjab government official said patient capacity is being increased in hospitals because of the alarming increase in coronavirus patients.
Read more: Punjab tightens restrictions as coronavirus cases spike
He expressed the belief that the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic won't stop.
Awan said the Punjab health department had proposed a complete lockdown to the government. But the government decided not to go for it at this stage, Awan said.
On Friday, Pakistan reported 105 more fatalities in the last 24 hours, taking the national death tally to 15,229 as the third wave of coronavirus becomes more lethal in the country.
According to National Command and Operation Centre's (NCOC) official data, about 5,312 new cases emerged in the country with the total tally now recorded at 710,829 as of today.
Read more: Punjab will soon buy 1m doses of COVID-19 vaccine: Dr Yasmin Rashid
With a positivity rate of 9.6%, the number of active cases stands at 69,811. In addition, country-wide recoveries have risen to 625,789.
The total number of coronavirus patients in Punjab is 243,295 and 6,851 people have died due to the virus.
Local preparation of COVID-19 vaccine possible in 6-10 months: Punjab health minister
A day earlier, Dr Yasmin Rashid, the province's health minister, said one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be purchased by Punjab soon after approval by the cabinet.
She was chairing a meeting at the Civil Secretariat to review the status of vaccine procurement and preparation. The Punjab health minister said that local preparation of the vaccine will be possible between six and 10 months.
Read more: With 102 new fatalities, coronavirus death toll crosses 15,000 mark in Pakistan
Dr Rashid said a technical advisory group had been constituted under Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Special Secretary Babar Aman to buy coronavirus vaccines. The group will share its recommendations within two days.
