PHC okays 21 private hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients

LAHORE :After special inspections of the Punjab Healthcare Commission, 21 private hospitals of five major cities of the province are ready to treat Covid-19 patients.

Thirteen hospitals in Lahore, three in Gujranwala, two each in Multan and Faisalabad and one in Rawalpindi have been cleared by the PHC to treat coronavirus patients. The hospitals have allocated 322 beds in isolation wards and high dependency units for the coronavirus patients. Also, the facilities of intensive care units and ventilators have been made available for patients.

Moreover, after intervention and guidance by the PHC, 16 hospitals of the City have been prepared to ensure timely reporting which is essential for the virus control measures. They have been given access to the dashboard of the Health Department for the reporting of Covid-19 patients, which will help get a true picture of the number of patients and treatment facilities available for them. Also, the hospitals have been directed to provide information about the suspected and confirmed coronavirus patients.

WHO Pakistan chief inspects facilities for Covid-19: Dr Palitha Mahipala, WHO representative in Pakistan, along with WHO Punjab Covid-19 response team visited the 1,000-bed Corona Treatment Hospital here Sunday. This hospital, built in a record nine days, has been established at Expo Centre with an aim to provide state-of-the-art treatment facilities to Coronavirus patients in Punjab.

Dr Palitha and his team were briefed regarding the arrangements made for establishing this hospital. It is pertinent to mention that the hospital has Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and High Dependency Unit (HDU) facilities for managing serious COVID-19 patients. In addition to treatment facilities available, according to the WHO case management protocols, the hospital will also serve as a triage centre where patients are prioritised based on severity of symptoms and condition. Dr Palitha Mahipala committed to provide support in the provision of PPEs for the healthcare staff deployed at the facility.