In bid to save oxygen, Islamabad's public hospitals halt scheduled surgeries

In a bid to save oxygen supplies for coronavirus patients, major public hospitals in Islamabad have suspended previously scheduled routine surgeries.

The country has more than 5,000 coronavirus patients on critical care, with the country reporting the highest number of deaths in a single day, since the pandemic began, a few days ago.

To cope with any untoward situation related to the supply of oxygen for COVID-19 patients, all previously scheduled surgeries have been halted at the CDA Hospital, the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Government Services Hospital, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, and the Polyclinic.

Islamabad's administration said scheduled surgeries would remain suspended until further notice.

At PIMS, 150 patients have been put up in the coronavirus ward, 11 are being provided treatment at the hospital's emergency department while seven patients have been put on ventilators.

All ventilators at the Polyclinic Hospital have been occupied, while 28 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital's COVID-19 ward.

Meanwhile, 42 patients at the CDA Hospital's coronavirus ward are undergoing treatment while 15 coronavirus patients are being treated at the Services Hospital.

Sindh bans elective surgeries

The development comes a day after owing to the rising number of coronavirus cases in Sindh, and a possible shortage of oxygen in hospitals, the provincial government issued directives to ban elective surgeries.

Taking to Twitter, Sindh Government Spokesperson Murtaza Wahab announced that the decision has been taken as a precaution.

"The #SindhGovt has decided to impose a complete ban on elective surgeries in public as well as private hospitals," he wrote. "It is clarified that surgeries in emergency cases will continue #SaveOxygen."