Below 50pc ventilators designated for coronavirus patients utilized in Pakistan: NDMA     

ISLAMABAD: Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal on Tuesday said that they have enough stock of ventilators in the country as coronavirus cases surge, ARY NEWS reported.

Addressing a media briefing, the NDMA chairman said that they have 4200 ventilators available in public sector hospitals across the country as they are yet to utilize 50 percent of ventilators stock designated specially to deal with the pandemic.

“We may need 2000 more ventilators at the end of June if coronavirus situation worsens,” he said adding that they had placed orders for 1310 ventilators from abroad.

‘”We will have 585 ventilators in our warehouse by the end of May 31,” said the NDMA chairman as currently they have a stock of 110 portable and 183 ICU ventilators.

He said that currently 128 people are battling for their lives on ventilators in the country.

“United States (US) has also offered to provide 200 ventilators and 100 of them would reach Pakistan by June 02,” Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal said adding that 30 each would be sent to Karachi and Peshawar while 15 each would be dispatched to Lahore and Quetta while remaining would be delivered to hospitals in Faisalabad.

Giving details of the hospitals utilized for coronavirus patients, the NDMA chief said that 365 public sector hospitals across the country are treating virus patients. “These hospitals have 10,944 ICU beds of which currently 2211 are in use,” he said.

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The NDMA chief said that they had identified 52 private hospitals to be used in case of emergency situation. “These hospitals have 679 ICU beds and could accommodate upto 6500 patients at a time,” he said.

He further said that coronavirus-related medical supplies including personal protective equipment (PPE) are locally manufactured in the country. He further urged the masses to adopt preventive measures to avoid contracting coronavirus.

Further terming locusts attack as a national issue, the NDMA chief during his presser said that it is currently present in lower parts of Punjab province and they have sprayed the affected areas day and night to minimize its affects.

“Five helicopters of Pakistan Army are also taking part in operation against swarms of locusts,” he said adding that China has also provided 300,000 liters of pesticides to overcome locusts attack.