SKMCH offers free tests for coronavirus patients

LAHORE: In view of the situation of the coronavirus across the country, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, being a leading healthcare institute, has taken a number of unprecedented steps, said Dr Aasim Yusuf, Chief Medical Officer.

In a talk with media, arranged at the site of Camp-Covid, a Triaging and Initial Assessment Centre, being built in the premises of SKMCH&RC, Lahore, He said, “These steps include setting up of a Coronavirus Triaging and Initial Assessment Centre, allocating three of our four inpatient units for COVID-19 patients, establishment of a 35-bed Intensive Care Unit fully equipped with ventilators for providing highly specialized care, training of medical and paramedical staff to deal with COVID-19 patients, scaling up our capacity to provide testing facilities and the education of the public and healthcare institutions through media.”

Answering to a question about the testing facility for the coronavirus at Shaukat Khanum Hospital, Dr. Aasim informed the media, “The hospital is providing a free coronavirus testing facility with the help of the government of Punjab. All testing kits are provided by the government and the hospital is contributing in terms of its resources and staff for the service.”

He said, “We will continue to serve cancer patients we have taken responsibility of and would be curtailing other non-cancer services to be able to create capacity to help the country deal with the coronavirus.”