Private hospitals in Islamabad, Rawalpindi offer free coronavirus treatment
- By Web Desk -
- Mar 24, 2020
ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Tuesday announced that private hospitals in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have extended their support to treat coronavirus-affected patients free of cost, ARY NEWS reported.
During a meeting to review arrangements of hospitals to treat coronavirus patients in the federal capital, the special assistant said that they are increasing the capacity of the beds at the hospitals to deal with rising number of cases.
It is a national challenge and we all have to deal with it through a coordinated effort, Zafar Mirza said adding that eight hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have offered them to provide 240 isolation wards comprising of over 1000 beds.
“The private hospitals will also provide 80 ventilators,” he said adding the hospitals would treat the patients free of cost.
He said that the government would provide preventive gears and other medical equipment to health professionals working at the hospitals.
The special assistant to prime minister also visited Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad to review health facilities.
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He said that the government was taking all-out measures to tackle the spread of the virus. “This visit is aimed at improving the available facilities,” he said while announcing to add 20 more beds to treat virus-infected patients at the hospital.
It is pertinent to mention here that the total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan has surged to 958 after new cases were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh.
Out of the total novel coronavirus cases, 407 were reported so far in Sindh, 267 in Punjab, 110 in Balochistan, 80 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 78 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whereas, 15 people were diagnosed with the deadly virus in federal capital Islamabad and one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) health authorities reported the emergence of 40 new cases, taking the total count in the province to 78.