The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday maintained that a surge in Covid-19 cases is likely due to unsatisfactory following of guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOP) by masses during the Eid holidays.
The meeting reviewed and analysed the Covid-19 latest cases, including existing coronavirus cases, deaths, patients on ventilators and estimates of new possible coronavirus cases of Eid holidays shared by the health ministry.
The forum noted that the following of SOPs and guidelines regarding Covid-19 remained very scarce during Eid holidays. The forum stressed enhanced role of federating units for implementing guidelines and SOPs of Covid-19 to contain the pandemic.
The meeting also reviewed the Covid-19 facilities being provided to the stranded Pakistanis returning to country. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Dr Moeed Yousaf chaired the meeting via video link. The representatives of civil aviation of all federating units attended the meeting. The meeting asked for sharing the data of all retuning Pakistanis with all the federating units. They noted that data of returning Pakistanis should be shared by all airlines with all the federating unit for containment of coronavirus and particularly implementation of test, trace and quarantine (TTQ) strategy.
Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal Tuesday said around 4,200 ventilators are available in public and private sector hospitals and there is no dearth of the facility to treat Covid-19 patients in the country.
Addressing a press conference, the NDMA chairman said orders have already been placed for procurement of additional 1,310 ventilators. He said trained staff is required to operate the ventilators and agreements regarding training of staff, its installation and maintenance have also been ensured with the companies from whom the ventilators are being imported. He said United States has also offered to donate 200 ventilators to Pakistan and half of them will reach shortly. Out of 100 ventilators, 30 each will be provided to Peshawar and Karachi, 15 to Balochistan, 10 to Faisalabad and 15 to Lahore, he added.
The NDMA chief said currently only 128 patients are on ventilators. Occupancy of ventilators in all cities remained below 50 per cent so far, he said, adding that 2,000 more ventilators will be required by June if the situation will get worse for which a contingency plan has already been chalked out. He said the authority has 183 intensive care unit ventilators in its warehouses as well as oxygen, CPAP, and BiPAP ventilators.
While refuting a news circulating on social media about shortage of ICU beds, he said there are 10,944 ICU beds available in 365 public sector hospitals across the country, and only 2211 ICUs beds are in use which is 20 per cent of the available capacity while 679 ICU beds are also available in 52 private hospitals. Similarly, he added, as many as 72,900 beds are available in public sector while around 6,000 beds in private sector hospitals. He said any coronavirus patient, who is denied a bed in a hospital from any part of the country, can register complaint at telephone number 111-157-157. He said Pakistan has achieved self-sufficiency in manufacturing medical equipment to treat Covid-19 patients.
