PIMS denies refusing virus patients

Islamabad : The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), the capital city's premier government hospital, has denied refusing admissions to coronavirus patients.

“There are rumours being circulated that PIMS is refusing admissions. It is not true. At the moment all patients are given critical services and none of them is being refused," Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat quoted the hospital administration as saying in a statement.

According to the PIMS administration, the people are coming to the hospital very late and in advanced stage of the virus due to which chances of their survival are very low. It said it had begun indigenously from four ventilators and enhanced its capacity to 12 ventilators of which two are reserved for children. After receiving 12 ventilators, the hospital’s capacity has increased from 12 beds to 24 beds, which are fully functional.

The PIMS said it was enhancing the capacity further after receiving more ventilators from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). It said it had 75 dedicated beds for serious COVID-19 patients and of them, 45 were currently occupied.

The hospital administration urged people not to take the pandemic lightly and consult doctors after witnessing virus symptoms.