our correspondent
PESHAWAR
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is taking steps on emergency basis to enhance the capacity of public sector hospitals to the maximum possible level in order to effectively deal with the Corona pandemic.
In the first phase 478 High Dependency Unit (HDU) beds will be added to the existing capacity by the end of this month, and in the second phase 315 more beds will be added by the end of next month whereas 150 more beds will be added in the third phase. Similarly, steps are being taken to expand the capacity of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds of public sector hospitals for the Corona patients under a given timeline.
This was stated during a a meeting held here the other day with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan in the chair to review the progress on capacity expansion plan of public sector hospitals with regard to the prevailing Corona situation.
Besides, Provincial Minister for Health Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Advisor to CM, Ajmal Wazir, Chairman NDMA, Lft.Gen. Muhammad Afzal, Director General National Command & Operation Centre, Major General Asif Goraya and Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr. Kazim Niaz, the meeting was also attended by relevant administrative secretaries and representatives of 11 Corps.
The meeting was briefed in details about the existing capacity of public sector hospitals of the province to deal with Corona patients, and steps being taken to augment the overall capacity of these hospitals to the maximum possible level.
The meeting was informed that as per the capacity expansion plan, 90 HDU beds would be added to the existing capacity of Hayatabad Medical Complex, 50 to Khyber Teaching Hospital, 40 to Mardan Medical Complex, 50 to Qazi Hussain Ahmad Hospital Nowshera, 50 to Saidu Group of Hospitals, 50 to Bacha Khan Medical Complex Swabi, 100 to Women & Children Hospital Rajjar and 48 HDU beds to Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad in the first phase of the plan.
Similarly, in the 2nd Phase 50 HDU beds will be added to the existing capacity of Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital Bannu, 30 to Mufti Mehmood Memorial Hospital D.I.Khan, 50 to District Headquarter Hospital Batkhela and 85 to Institute of Hepthalogy Peshawar, whereas 100 HDU beds will be added to the Women & Children Block of Ayub Teaching Hospital and 150 beds to Peshawar Institute of Cardiology in collaboration with NDMA in the next phase.
The meeting was further told that number of ICU beds were also being increased to facilitate the critical patients of Corona virus, and in the first phase 25 ICU beds would be added to the existing strength of Lady Reading Hospital, 25 to Hayatabad Medical Complex, 25 to Khyber Teaching Hospital, 10 to Mardan Medical Complex, 10 to Qazi Hussain Ahmad Hospital Nowshera and 05 to Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad, and in the second Phase 50 ICU beds will be added to the existing number of ICU beds in Peshawar Institute of Cardiology.
On this occasion, the Chairman NDMA was briefed about the details of other medical equipments urgently required in the public sector hospitals of the province including ventilators, cardiac monitors, oxygen contractors, PCR Machines and portable Ultrasounds etc.
Chairman NDMA while assuring all out support to the provincial government in this regard, said that NDMA will arrange ventilators and other allied facilities of Intensive Care for 350 patients of COVID-19 in the province within the next 15 days.
General Afzal also assured that NDMA will also extend its all out support to the provincial government in arranging oxygen cylinders, plasma machines and trained man power for Corona patients.
