PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has claimed that there is no shortage of medical oxygen in majorhospitals of the province and that it is working to improve oxygen supply during the third wave of coronavirus.

The claim was made during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan here on Friday. The meeting was convened to review the capacity of the province’s healthcare system for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

The availability of medical gas in hospitals also came under discussion, according to an official statement.

The officials told the meeting that currently, the oxygen tank capacity in the Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, was 13,000 liters and an additional tank with the capacity of 6,000 liters would be provided to the facility within a week.

They said the Lady Reading Hospital’s oxygen storage facility had the capacity of 17,000 liters and an additional tank of 8,000 liters would be ready for it in the next five days.

The officials said 5,000 liters oxygen was also being added to the current storage capacity of 3,000 liters in Mardan Medical Complex and 1,000 liters to Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad’s 15,000 liters capacity.

They said the number of beds for Covid-19 patients in government hospitals was being increased on the need basis.

The officials said during the last few weeks, 29 ICU beds, 257 HDU beds and 272 low-flow beds were added to tertiary hospitals and 116 ICU, 398 HDU and 840 low-flow beds would be added in the next few weeks.

The meeting was informed that the average coronavirus positivity rate in the province was 15.4 per cent, while the daily testing capacity had been increased to more than 8,000.

The meeting decided to convene a special meeting of the provincial task force against coronavirus and a conference of commissioners and deputy commissioners in few days to ensure the implementation of coronavirus SOPs.

It also decided about the installation of an oxygen plant to fulfil oxygen requirements of hospitals.

The chief minister urged the people to strictly follow coronavirus SOPs and precautionary measures, especially the use of face mask.

He said the people’s cooperation was essential to efficiently deal with the current situation.

Mr Mahmood directed the relevant authorities to ensure the strict enforcement of SOPs in the districts with rising virus positivity rate.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2021