101 patients from twin cities confirmed COVID-19

Rawalpindi:Till Monday evening according to the official figure released by the Command and Control Centre, as many as 101 are from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi which means that every 16th or 17th patient being tested positive for the coronavirus illness is from this region of the country.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Monday reveals that COVID-19 has claimed two lives in Rawalpindi while nearly 48 confirmed patients of the disease were undergoing treatment at the healthcare facilities in town.

The city district administration announced that the disease claimed life of a patient on Sunday evening in Rawalpindi. COVID-19 claimed life of a female patient in town on March 25 that was believed to be the first death in the region due to coronavirus illness.

On the other hand, as many as 51 patients have been tested positive in the federal capital till Monday afternoon according to daily situation report of Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division (FEDSD), National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad.

According to report, as many as 13 patients were undergoing treatment at the hospital (Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences) on Monday while three have been discharged after achieving complete cure. The report shows that as many as 35 patients confirmed positive for COVID-19 from Islamabad have been under quarantine at homes or some quarantine facility.

It is important that the staff at PIMS and other hospitals in the region including allied hospitals in Rawalpindi have been complaining of unavailability of personal protective equipment.

So far, the hospitals in Rawalpindi have received as many as 50 confirmed patients of COVID-19 including the first and second contacts of the confirmed patients reported in the district at the earliest stage of spread of the disease, said Executive District Officer (Health) Dr. Sohail Ahmed Chaudhary while talking to ‘The News’ on Monday.

He added that President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi and the first lady visited quarantine facility established at University of Engineering and Technology in Taxila today (Monday) and expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made there. The UET Taxila quarantine facility can accommodate 600 persons according to international standards means one person in one room, he said.

To a query, he said a total of 1000 personal protective equipment kits have been dispatched from Lahore for healthcare facilities operating in the district under the Punjab government particularly on management of coronavirus illness like Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Corona Management Centre at Rawalpindi Institute of Urology.

We would most probably be able to provide PPEs to the doctors, nurses and paramedical staff at the healthcare facilities till Tuesday, he said. He added people including chemists, druggists and other businessmen should come forward to help health department in arranging masks, gloves and other PPEs for healthcare staff as it is time for community to donate as much as possible to help professionals serving them.

Executive Director at PIMS Dr. Ansar Maqsood when contacted by ‘The News’ on Monday said that staff in departments other than isolation wards and units dealing with coronavirus management at the hospital do not need PPEs according to standard operating procedure.