The government has sprung into action to build the capacity of health care facilities across country amid fast increasing cases of coronavirus.
The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has decided to provide 1,000 oxygenated beds for capacity building and enhancement of critical health care system in major cities of the country by end of June. The NCOC will also ensure fast-track approval for enhancing health care capacity particularly critical healthcare. The procurement plan in this regard has already been put in place.
In context with Covid-19, the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) has constructed Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre (IHITC) in Islamabad on behalf of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and National Institute of Health (NIH) on turnkey basis. The 250-bed prefabricated state-of-the-art hospital will be used to treat not only coronavirus infected patients under best available equipment and medication but also be available for treatment of other infectious diseases. Construction work on the project will be completed within 35 days. The IHITC Islamabad consists of five wards having single rooms and an intensive care unit (ICU) each, two general wards, emergency department, diagnostics, radiology and pathology laboratory, besides a mortuary and incinerator. It has specialized HVAC (heating, ventilation & air conditioning) and sewerage system, CCTV, intercom, HIMS (health information management system) and LIMS (laboratory information management system), fire and smoke detection system, RO plant, kitchen, doctors’ accommodation and a mosque are part of this wonderful facility.
The NCOC, through NDMA, has also dispatched 52 ventilators which have already been received by Sindh government. Another tranche of 50 additional vents will delivered in next 48-72 hours to meet additional and contingency requirements of the province. Human resource is being trained for operationalization of the beds. Enhancing of beds capacity in Mardan, Noshera, Swabi and Peshawar hospitals is also on the cards.
In Punjab, 72 additional vents have been added in the last one week. A detailed contingency plan is in place for procuring additional beds for Covid-19 patients. The additional beds will be provided by third week of June.
In Balochistan, 10 ventilators have already been Installed. The province is working on human resource to meet additional requirements. There is no pressure on health care system in Gilgit-Baltistan as 10 additional ventilators are being delivered to GB, in addition to 62 delivered earlier.
Earlier in the day, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umer said the federal government will provide 1,000 oxygen beds to the provinces during June to cope with the fast emerging rush in large city hospitals. Talking to media persons at the NCOC after chairing a meeting to review Covid-19 situation, he said more beds will be added across the country hospitals during July. He said federal government would also provide required help to the provinces, adding that provinces have been provided 250 ventilators and additional beds last week. A comprehensive incentive package would be finalised soon for healthcare workers, he added.
A day earlier, the NCOC had announced that it had allocated and issued 250 additional ventilators through the National Disaster Management Authority to overcome challenges in critical care.
Meanwhile, in order to ensure public safety amid surge in new cases of coronavirus, administrative actions for the implementation and enforcement of the standard operating procedure (SOPs) formed by the government are being taken across country. Reports received from provinces during the last 24 hours indicated that administrative action has been initiated against the violators of SOPs and social distancing in public places and high-risk areas of markets, public transport and industrial sectors as follows
In Balochistan, 294 violations have been observed due to which 128 shops and 57 transports/vehicles have been temporarily closed/fined and issued warnings.
In Punjab, special teams have been set up for checking various markets, bazaars, transport and industrial areas. At least 792 shops, four industries, 610 transport vehicles have been closed, fined or issued warnings across province on 2,593 SOP violations.
In Sindh, strict action including closing of shops and transport has been taken against SOP violators across province.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 406 SOP violations were observed in which two shops and 22 transport vehicles were issued warnings and sealed while 1241 individuals were fined.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, 43 shops and 47 transport vehicles were fined or sealed on 153 violations of health guidelines.
In Islamabad Capital Territory, 44 SOP violations were marked in which 23 shops, two industries and 11 transports were fined or sealed.
In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 379 SOP violations were observed during which 55 shops/and 87 transports were fined and sealed.
