Mahmood inaugurates 58-bed hospital in Peshawar for coronavirus patients
our correspondent
PESHAWAR
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has said that the government is utilising all-out resources to contain the spread of coronavirus in the province.
Inaugurating a newly established hospital for corona patients here on Thursday, the chief minister said, “Today, the provincial government takes the concept of public-private partnership to the next level. Masses from all across the province will be able to avail first class treatment right here in Peshawar, at no cost to them. This was the dream of the PTI government and the Prime Minister, Imran Khan, to ensure world class medical access to the common man, for free. I would like to thank the EU, IRC and MERF for helping us realise this dream.”
The isolation centre and intensive care unit is funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and is set up by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF).
The chief minister said the government has imposed smart lockdown in various areas to save the public from coronavirus pandemic. Initially, the hospital consists of sixty beds including high dependency units and isolation wards which will be enhanced to one hundred and ten beds by the end of this month.
Mahmood Khan said the specialized corona hospital has been set up according to international standard. The chief minister said the government is trying hard to continue the economic activities despite corona pandemic.
Lauding the facility, Bernard Jaspers Faijer, Head of Office ECHO Pakistan, said, “The European Union stands with Pakistan in this time when the health sector is under immense pressure to cope with the challenges caused by the coronavirus.”
Faijer said that many countries all around the world are affected by it and the European Union considers it very important to assist each where possible.”
Rs567 million provided by ECHO is part of a bigger EU-package of COVID-19 response to Pakistan to help contain the spread of COVID-19 and strengthen health system capacities and infrastructure in Pakistan. The IRC and its partner MERF have a special focus on supporting government isolation facilities accompanied with comprehensive mass awareness campaigns across Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This is the first isolation centre being set up under this project and is augmented initially with a five-bedded ICU, 16 High Dependency Units, and 40-bedded isolation capacity. The facility is fully equipped with ventilators, monitors, oxygen, ABG machines, infusion pumps and other accessary equipment to manage hypoxemic respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), septic shock, and other related complications resulting from COVID-19. There is also special emphasis on accessibility provisions for the elderly and persons with disabilities.
IRC and MERF will be establishing two more Intensive Care Units (ICU) and accompanied isolation centres in Quetta and Karachi.
Moreover, this project will also support provision of much needed human resources, including managers, doctors, specialist, support staff, etc., and will provide facilitation of 45,000 screening tests across designated districts and sites, provide Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS), and equip the government centres with essential medical equipment and supplies including personal protective equipment (PPE).
