LAHORE: The burden of critical patients of Covid-19 is increasing fast in public and private hospitals of Punjab after the highly infectious and deadly Delta variant visibly dominated other strains.

The official figures showed that the number of critical patients of Covid-19 has increased to 840 in both the government and private hospitals of Punjab.

Presently, total 1,332 Covid patients are under treatment at hospitals of the province, showing the high admission ratio in the starting phase of the fourth wave of the virus.

Out of the total number of patients in the hospitals, the percentage of the critical patients constituted 63 which was many times higher than those reported during the first three waves of the Covid-19 in Punjab.

One of the major factors was said to be severity of the deadly Delta virus and its dominance over other strains in Punjab.

Of 840 patients, 654 were under treatment for high oxygen flow in high dependency units (HDUs) and 186 in the intensive care units of the public and private hospitals of the province.

The total number of patients admitted to the hospitals of Punjab and those landed in ICUs and HDUs showed that the Delta variant was much destructive than the other strains of Covid-19.

According to the figures, the bed occupancy in the HDUs of the both private and state-run hospitals across the province reached 20 per cent and in ICUs 19pc.

The situation is said to be somewhat disturbing in Lahore’s hospitals where the bed occupancy ratio in ICUs reached 37pc, with most critical patients landed in the Mayo Hospital and Services Hospital.

The 81pc ICUs of Services and 80pc of the Mayo Hospital have been occupied by the Covid patients.

Similarly, the bed occupancy in ICUs of Nishtar Hospital, Multan, reached 77pc, Civil Hospital, Bahawalpur, (50pc), Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi, (60pc) the ICUs of Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, (69pc).

Sharing the Covid update, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Sara Aslam said the total number of virus deaths reached 11,065 in Punjab after eight more patients died of the infection during the last 24 hours.

She said Punjab reported 815 new positive cases during the same period, bringing the total number to 357,735 so far.

Of them, 385 new cases were reported in Lahore, 162 in Rawalpindi, 42 in Faisalabad, 38 in Multan, 21 in Rahim Yar Khan, 15 in Sialkot, 14 in Bahawalpur, 13 each in Sahiwal and Gujranwala, 12 cases in Chiniot, etc.

She warned that the Delta variant is spreading fast in major districts of the province and suggested the public to take preventive measures.

Keeping in view the prevailing alarming situation, Sara Aslam said the health department has expanded the scope of door-to-door campaign for vaccination to three more districts of the province.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2021