LAHORE: Out of 19,017 tests conducted during the last 24 hours, as many as 1,163 fresh infections and 15 fatalities were reported in Punjab taking the tally of cases to 369,358 and death toll to 11,307 amid a large scale vaccination drive across the province.
Out of 15 deaths reported during the last 24 hours, seven were reported in Rawalpindi, four in Lahore, two in Muzaffargarh and one in Gujranwala taking the death toll in these districts to 1,695, 4,499, 301 and 446, respectively.
With the recovery of 1,364 more corona positive patients, the total number of recovered patients in Punjab has reached 338,051. On the other hand, as many as 3,937 coronavirus recoveries were reported across the country during the last 24 hours taking the tally of recoveries to 979,411 showing a recovery rate of 89.9 percent.
Out of 1,163 fresh virus cases during the last 24 hours, as many as 564 were reported in Lahore, 242 in Rawalpindi, 49 in Faisalabad and 28 in Multan. As per breakup of corona cases and deaths in major cities of the province, Lahore has so far reported 189,601 cases and 4,499 deaths,
Rawalpindi 30,810 cases and 1,695 deaths, Faisalabad 22,461 cases and 1,184 deaths, Multan 18,727 cases and 876 deaths, Gujranwala 8,714 cases and 446 deaths, Rahim Yar Khan 6,552 cases and 282 deaths, Sargodha 8,699 cases and 294 deaths, Sheikhupura 4,022 cases and 124 deaths, Muzaffargarh 2,389 cases and 301 deaths and Sialkot reported 7,592 cases and 241 deaths.
According to Muhammad Aamir Jan, Secretary Specialized Healthcare Punjab, as many as 315,560 corona patients are recovered in the public sector hospitals being run under the control of Specialized and Primary & Secondary Healthcare departments.
Out of 6,513 beds reserved in all government hospitals for corona patients, 4,921 beds were lying unoccupied. Likewise, 1,398 beds were reserved in government hospitals of Lahore and 984 beds were vacant so far. The Secretary SHC&MED said that the department had arranged 3,010 beds in Isolation wards of all government hospitals in the province, out of which 2,486 beds were vacant. However, 370 beds for corona patients are reserved in isolation wards set up in government hospitals of Lahore and 294 beds are unoccupied. In addition, 2,794 beds are also reserved in HDU for patients suffering from Covid-19 in all the government hospitals and 1,952 beds are vacant while, in hospitals of Lahore, 799 beds are reserved in HDU and 554 beds are unoccupied, Aamir Jan said.
The Secretary SHC said the Health department had arranged 709 ventilators for corona patients in all hospitals of the provincial government, of which 226 ventilators were under use while 483 were unoccupied. Around 229 ventilators are reserved in Lahore hospitals, of which 93 are occupied and 136 ventilators are vacant, said Secretary Specialized Healthcare.
Moreover, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid while speaking at a seminar said that in a changing world, One Health Vision will have to be adopted which recognizes that health of people is closely connected to the health of animals, plants and shared environment.
She said, “The One Health Project is being launched in Punjab as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. We will request Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar to constitute a Task Force on the theme of One Health. Health is a great blessing. Prevention is better than cure. Without the support of all stakeholders, the project of One Health cannot be made successful.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021