LAHORE: The number of Covid patients in Punjab’s public and private sector health facilities continued to drop amid reports of decline in new infections and death rate.

Particularly, the hospitals in the provincial capital witnessed a sharp decline, according to the new statistics officially released by the Punjab health authorities.

The data showed that the bed occupancy rate in high dependency units of the public and private hospitals in Lahore has dropped to 31.6 per cent while in intensive care units 69.8 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government data showed that 63 more patients died of virus in Punjab during the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 9,188.

Similarly, the total number of the infections in Punjab reached 322,117 after 1,266 more people tested positive for the virus during the same period.

Of them 476 were reported from Lahore while others from Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Jhang, Bahawalnagar, Gujrat, Kasur, Okara, Bhakkar, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Muzaffargarh, Sialkot, Lodhran, Khushab, Layyah, Sheikhupura, Narowal, Chiniot, Jhelum, Mianwali, Mandi Bahauddin, Khanewal, Nankana Sahib and Hafizabad.

Meanwhile, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid visited Mayo Hospital’s Corona Monitoring Unit on Wednesday to monitor its performance.

Consultant for Covid Prof Dr Asad Aslam Khan and Mayo Medical Superintendent Dr Iftikhar were present on the occasion.

Professor Aslam and Dr Iftikhar briefed the minister about reserved beds, ventilators and oxygen availability.

“We are continuously increasing the number of vaccination centres. In Punjab 236 centres and in Lahore seven are functional,” the minister said.

Adequate amount of vaccine was available in Punjab where vaccination to people of over 40 years of age had started, she said.

She said the number of staff and counters had been increased at the centres and the number of people being vaccinated shall be doubled very soon.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2021

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