ISLAMABAD: The capital administration has asked all government and private hospitals treating Covid-9 patients to increase isolation wards and arrange more beds and ventilators in the wake of rising number of cases.

According to sources, representatives of some private hospitals met capital administration officials on Monday to discuss the issue and make necessary arrangements. These facilities will also be arranged in hospitals not treating coronavirus patients, they added.

At present, 12 government and private hospitals have allocated isolation wards, 362 beds and 69 ventilators for Covid-19 patients.

The officials said utilisation of ventilators and beds in Islamabad was the second highest in the country at 68pc and 69pc, respectively.

Noman Nazim, a spokesman for the capital administration, told Dawn that representatives of five private hospitals met Director Asif Raheem at the chief commissioner’s office and assured him that they would arrange 45 to 84 beds. He said Pims had also been asked to increase bed capacity from 115 to at least 175.

616 new patients, three deaths reported in twin cities

Meanwhile, 449 positive cases and one death were reported in the capital and 167 new patients and two deaths in the garrison city.

During the last 24 hours 5,550 tests were conducted and the positivity rate remained 8pc. Of the total tests, 465 were contacts of the positive cases and 5,085 suspected patients.

Officials said 40 cases were reported from Tarlai, 27 from G-9, 24 from G-7, 23 from G-11, 22 from G-6, 20 each from Bahria Town and Jhangi Syedan, 16 from I-8, 15 each from G-13, I-10, G-10, F-7 and Bhara Kahu, 14 from G-8, 12 from Ghauri Town, 11 each from D-12 and E-11, nine each from Sihala, DHA-II and G-5, eight each from PWD and F-10, seven each from Soan Garden, Khanna, F-8 and F-6, six each from Gulberg Green, F-5 and Banigala, five from I-9, four each from Pakistan Town, Naval Anchorage, Jinnah Garden and F-11, three each from River Garden, Korang Town and B-17, two each from Loi Bher, H-12, H-8, E-9, E-7 and H-10, one each from NPF, Model Town and Media Town.

Rawalpindi

Two persons died of Covid-19 and 167 people tested positive in the garrison city while 100 confirmed patients were discharged from hospitals on Monday.

The deceased were aged 54 and 56 years old, and were residents of Dhoke Ratta and Kehkashan Colony, Adiala Road.

Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood said the number of cases was rising but hospitals had enough space to accommodate the patients.

According to official data, 136 of the new patients were from Rawalpindi Cantonment and city areas, five from Gujar Khan, four from Murree, eight from Taxila, two from Kallar Syedan and one from Kahuta.

At present, there are 36 patients in Holy Family Hospital, 19 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital, eight in Red Crescent Hospital, three in Heart International and 40 in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology.

Since March, 9,430 people tested positive in Rawalpindi district and 365 people died of the virus.

Attock

One Covid-19 patient died and another case was reported in the district in the last 24 hours.

A spokesperson for the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department said the number of coronavirus cases in the district had reached 738 with the death toll of 21.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Jawad Elahi said a 65-year-old patient from Hazro died in HFH. Meanwhile, eight people tested positive in Taxila, raising the tally to 667.

According to a report issued by the local health department, a 14-year-old student of Government Boys High School in Taxila was among the infected people.

Deputy District Officer Health Dr Sara Qadeer said most of the cases belonged to urban areas of Wah Cantonment, adding that the number of active patients in the area had reached 59.

Jhelum

As many as 15 people, including some students and teachers, tested positive, leading to sealing of two more schools in Jhelum on Monday.

The number of active cases in the district has increased to 84. A senior official of the health department said 14 patients were under treatment at the DHQ hospital and the remaining isolated at home.

— Additional reporting by Amjad Iqbal & Hamid Asghar

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2020