Next 20 days crucial for curbing corona: Dr Yasmin Rashid

LAHORE:Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid visited Expo Vaccination Centre here Thursday.

Present on the occasion were Deputy Secretary and Project Director Ahmer Khan. The Health Minister took feedback from citizens at Expo Centre to get themselves vaccinated. Ahmer Khan gave a presentation to the health minister about the arrangements.

The heath minister said, “In the last 24 hours, more than 94,000 people have been vaccinated. We are enhancing the number of vaccination centres in Punjab. The decision of lockdown from 8th May is in best interest of people. Next 20 days will be critical to corona control efforts. I request people to be careful about the pandemic. The vaccination staff has been doubled at centres, she added. Alhumdulllah, we are going at fairly faster pace, faster than all provinces. We have vaccinated more than 1.6 million people in Punjab. I greatly appreciate Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Ms Sarah Aslam for meticulous arrangements at the Expo Centre. Vaccination process is ongoing at full pace in Punjab. I urge people not be careless about Corona,” she concluded.

Meanwhile Dr Yasmin Rashid visited the site of under-construction Ganga Ram Mother and Child Quaternary Hospital to review the pace of work there.

The health minister said, “The work on Mother and Child Block shall be completed within stipulated deadline. State-of-the-art Mother and Child Hospital shall play pivotal role in ensuring health of mothers and children. In the province, seven mother and child hospitals are being developed. The construction of new mother and child hospitals is materialisation of dream of PM Imran Khan. The minister also laid the foundation stone of newly constructed Nephrology Block. Vice-chancellor FJU Dr Amir Zaman Khan, Muhammad Kahtar and Saeeda Akhtar were present.

The minister expressed gratitude to Muhammad Akhtar and Dr Saeeda Akhtar for generous donation. She prayed to the Almighty to reward their services. There is nothing bigger than service to humanity. Our first priority, she added, is to provide best quality health services at people’s doorstep.

Vice-chancellor Fatima Jinnah Medical University Professor Dr Amir Zaman Khan, MS Ganga Ram Hospital Dr Ihteshamul Haq, Project Director Ijaz Shaikh, Professor Javed Ch and a number of relevant officials were present on the occasion. The vice-chancellor and project director gave briefing to the health minister on the progress so far.

recover: Around 252,208 corona patients recovered in the public sector hospitals being run under the control of Specialised and Primary & Secondary Healthcare departments, while 1963 patients recovered during the last 24 hours.

This was disclosed by Barrister Nabeel Ahmed Awan Secretary Specialised Healthcare Punjab Thursday. He said that 7,521 beds were reserved in all government hospitals for corona patients, out of which 4,763 beds were unoccupied.

Likewise, 1,623 beds reserved in government hospitals of the provincial metropolis and 920 beds were vacant so far.

The Secretary SHC&MED said that in view of the surging corona pandemic, the department had arranged 3,412 beds in Isolation wards of all hospitals in the province, out of which, 2,602 beds were vacant.