Gates acknowledges Pak’s efforts to combat virus
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke to Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and discussed the latest situation on COVID-19 response and resumption of Polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan.
During the conversation, Imran apprised Bill Gates about improved COVID-19 situation in Pakistan with considerable reduction in new cases and the fatality rate.
Imran shared that the “smart lockdowns” policy of the government has proven to be very effective.
The prime minister acknowledged the Gates Foundation’s continued support to Pakistan which includes COVID-19 response.
He noted that the repurposing of Polio infrastructure played an important role in COVID-19 response. Imran and Gates agreed to continue their cooperation on shared priorities.
In a separate development, the Punjab government has closed down COVID-19 wards in three government-run hospitals in the city, leaving the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) the dedicated facility for patients of the disease following a reported decrease in cases.
All the filter clinics and wards for Covid-19 patients at Benazir Bhuto Hospital (BBH), Holy Family Hospital (HFH) and the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital have been closed and patients will be referred to RIU from now on.
The three hospitals have restarted routine activities and are treating all kinds of patients in various departments.
The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare department had established a 196-bed facility for Covid-19 patients at BBH. This included 140 beds in wards, 70 beds atached to oxygen and 30 ventilators in the intensive care unit (ICU).
HFH had a 100-bed facility, including a 41-bed isolation ward, 16 ventilators and 43 oxygenatached beds in the ICU. A 14-bed facility with four beds in the isolation ward, five ventilators and five oxygen-atached beds in the ICU was set up at the DHQ Hospital.
The provincial government also set up two 120-bed field hospitals in the Shahbaz Sharif Sports Complex in Shamsabad and the Red Crescent Hospital.
BBH medical superintendent Dr Raffique Ahmed said that the hospital closed its wards on the Punjab government’s directives, as RIU was made the dedicated hospital for COVID-19 treatment.
“All the patients will be tested there and admitted in its wards,” Dr Ahmed said.
He said all the patients were moved to RIU soon ater the government’s directives were received. However, BBH has not closed the ICU, as there are no gynaecology or surgery facilities at RIU to treat pregnant women with COVID-19 or other patients who need critical care.