Health emergency imposed in Lahore amid rising Covid-19 cases

In view of the alarming rise in coronavirus cases in Lahore, the health department has imposed a citywide health emergency.

The health department has alerted the MS of all hospitals in Lahore and directed that MS offices of all hospitals remain open 24 hours a day.

The administrative offices of all the hospitals will be open all week while the Saturday and Sunday holidays of Department of Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education’s essential staff have been canceled.

In view of the alarming increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, the Corona Expert Advisory Group, in a meeting with the Secretary Health, had proposed to impose a health emergency and smart lockdown.

The health department has issued an alert to all the hospitals in Lahore and asked them to keep coronavirus beds, ventilators and oxygen beds ready.

The health department has also informed the Punjab government that the rate of positive cases is 18%. The expo center is also likely to be reactivated as corona beds in government hospitals are dwindling. 340 HDU beds at the Expo center have been directed to remain fully functional for new patients.

Members of the Corona Expert Advisory Group said the third wave of the virus has doubled the number of critically ill patients. If SOPs are not implemented, the situation could spiral out of control.

On the other hand, talking about the worsening situation, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said that Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Sialkot are under smart lockdown and the government is moving towards targeted smart lockdowns.

She said that tackling the pandemic is a challenge. The rate at which the virus is spreading as well as the number of patients on ventilator is increasing. In the last 24 hours, 43 deaths have been reported from coronavirus in Punjab, she added.