Jhagra Lauds Doctors,paramedic Staff's Role In Fight Against Coronavirus

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra Saturday said that our doctors, paramedics and lower medical staff fighting vigourously against coronavirus

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jun, 2020 ) :Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra Saturday said that our doctors, paramedics and lower medical staff fighting vigourously against coronavirus.

He said hospitals in major cities of the province, including Peshawar, have intensive care unit (ICU) and high-dependency unit (HDU) beds for coronavirus patients and by August, the number of HDU beds would increase to 1,500 and the number of ICU beds would be 200.

He expressed these views while presiding over a meeting of the Health Department on the capacity of hospitals related to the LOCUM Scheme and coronavirus.

The meeting was attended by Health Secretary Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah, Special Secretary Health Mian Adil Iqbal, Head of Health Reforms Unit Dr. Shahid Younis, Acting Director General Health Services Dr. Niaz Muhammad, Additional DG Dr. Shaheen Afridi, Dr. Amjad Mehboob and other officials.

During the meeting, the Health Minister was briefed on the interviews conducted so far under the LOCUM scheme and the capacity of hospitals related to COVID-19.

It was informed in the meeting that interviews of specialist doctors, specialist nurses and nurses had been completed under the LOCUM scheme while interviews of trained medical officers were in progress.

The meeting participants were apprised that the number of HDU beds in the province would be increased to 500 by August. Similarly, the number of ICU beds will be increased to 200 on which work was in progress.

It was also revealed in the meeting that the Rapid Response Teams formed for coronavirus patients had been extended to 5 districts Malakand, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Swabi and Bannu while next week Rapid Response Teams will be extended to 7 more districts including Batgram, Haripur, Chitral, Dera Ismail Khan, Karak, Shangla and Tank.

Taimur Jhagra assured that in order to fight the pandemic, we have to make quick decisions and implement them. The public must be provided best and earliest possible health care during this epidemic, the Health Minister said, adding, "It was welcome that hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were taking better care of COVID-19 patients."