Critical patients 57pc higher than 1st wave peak, says Asad

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD: National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar warned that the number of critical coronavirus patients was 57 per cent higher in the 24 hours leading to Friday than the first wave peak last year but insisted that the situation in hospitals was under control.

“Total number of critical care Covid patients on oxygen reached 5,360 yesterday (Thursday). This is 57 per cent more than the peak last June,” the planning minister said in a series of tweets as the country registered 131 fatalities and 5,112 infections in a single day. The positivity ratio was 10.41 per cent.

Umar however credited the proactive decisions by the NCOC to increase oxygen production capacity and importing more oxygen cylinders, for the situation in hospitals being under control despite the rapid increase in Covid-19 cases.

“Alhamdulillah have so far managed to cope with this huge increase because of proactively building capacity of the entire system from oxygen production to beds,” he added. The minister said total oxygen production operational capacity in Pakistan last year was 487 tons per day which had been increased to 798 tons, while oxygen production had gone up from 465 tons per day last June to 725 tons currently. “We also imported 19,200 oxygen cylinders last year to ensure distribution,” he added.

He said the federal government added 2,811 oxygen beds all over Pakistan last year whereas the provinces had also added more. The minister said despite having more than 2,000 additional Covid patients on oxygen compared to the peak last June, the tight oxygen supply situation that was seen last year had not been created now.

Continuing to build capacity, Umar said the NCOC decided to import 6,000 tons of oxygen, 5,000 cylinders and 20 cryogenic tanks. “It is this proactive decision making which has with Allah’s blessings helped us avoid the kind of scenes being witnessed in some other countries.”

He noted that bedrock of this proactive decision making had been a data-based forward looking analytical approach, nationally coordinated effort with a whole of the nation approach and hard work of dedicated teams who continued to steer the efforts through this difficult challenge.

“However, the challenge is not over and in fact is continuing to increase. The need for precautions and following SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) is vital at this point in time. Next few weeks are critical. No system can cope if we allow the disease to spread rapidly,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lahore authorities have announced complete lockdown in the city on Saturdays and Sundays. According to Commissioner Lahore Division Muhammad Usman, part of the complete lockdown entailed that businesses and markets across the city will remain closed.

The step is being taken to save lives as coronavirus cases continue to surge across the country and Punjab as well. The commissioner clarified that medical stores, petrol pumps and vaccination centres will remain open during the weekends. “I would request citizens to buy items of necessary use today,” he said.