Islamabad's Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has "reached its maximum capacity" to admit and treat Covid-19 patients, its joint executive director has said.

In a letter to the Pims dean, dated April 22 and seen by Dawn.com, Dr Minhaj-us-Siraj said the hospital has decided to postpone elective/planned surgeries "indefinitely" because the heavy load of Covid patients has increased oxygen pressure on the hospital "manifold".

He requested that the federal health ministry be approached to "ramp up" other facilities in the capital to cater to virus patients.