LAHORE: The specialised healthcare and medical education department on Saturday suspended out-patient department (OPD) services of ENT, ophthalmology, dermatology and dentistry as well as elective surgeries in the public sector teaching hospitals of seven coronavirus high-prevalence districts for 10 days.

The situation will be reviewed on April 20.

The department took the decision to prevent transmission of Covid-19 and to strengthen and expand the treatment services in Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan districts.

However, the OPD services of all other specialities as well as elective surgeries in hospitals in other districts of Punjab would continue as usual.

The doctors, nurses, paramedics and other healthcare workers of the four specialties in the seven high-prevalence districts would be engaged for management of Covid-19 patients.

The department also directed that SOPs should be followed strictly for OPD services for the safety of patients and healthcare providers as well as to minimise the chances of transmission of the virus.

57 more deaths, 2,628 new cases in Punjab

CORONA DEATHS: The number of new cases of coronavirus infection seems to have started dropping possibly owing to strict compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and closure of various public places and limited time for bazaars.

The Punjab government reported 2,628 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday as compared to 2,711 from a day ago and 2,990 reported on Thursday. The total number of Covid-19 cases in Punjab has reached 245,923.

During the past 24 hours, the Punjab government reported 57 deaths, taking the tally of fatalities from the virus in the province to 6,908.

The highest number of new cases -- 1,276 – was reported from Lahore, besides 245 from Rawalpindi, 220 Faisalabad, 137 Multan, 104 Bahawalpur, 98 Sargodha, 53 each in Gujranwala and Sialkot, 52 Rahim Yar Khan, 40 Sheikhupura, 35 Gujrat and 31 from Toba Tek Singh.

The health department spokesman said they had so far conducted over four million tests and that 200,235 patients had recovered in the province.

SINGLE DOSE: The Punjab government has begun injecting the single-dose vaccine to people over 70 years of age. The vaccine will be administered at the Expo Centre.

The government has also urged those over 60 years of age to get vaccinated at their assigned time.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2021