NDMA provides ICU, portable ventilators to GB govt

ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has provided more ventilators and X-ray machines to the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government, ARY News reported on Monday.

The NDMA spokesperson said that overall 15 ventilators including 10 for intensive care unit and 5 portable breathing machines were dispatched to GB.

The medical staff will also be trained to use the ventilators by the company’s representatives, added the spokesperson.

Read: COVID-19: NDMA stars distributing more ventilators to all provinces

Earlier in the day, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar announced that the government has decided to provide 1000 more intensive care unit (ICU) beds for coronavirus patients to provinces in the ongoing month due to sharp increase in Covid-19 cases and deaths.

Briefing media about National Command and Control (NCOC) decisions, the planning minister said that the burden on hospitals is increasing, so therefore the government has started consultations with all provinces for the provision of more ICU beds to them for coronavirus patients.

“Burden on hospitals is rising due to a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases and deaths. In this regard, the federal government has decided to consult with all provinces regarding the provision of 1000 more ICU beds for Covid-19 patients,” said Asad Umar.

Read: Balochistan hospital gets modern machinery for COVID-19 tests

He said that the government distributed 250 ventilators to all four provinces during the last week.

Giving details about the ventilators, Asad Umar said that 72 ventilators have been provided to Punjab in the last week, while Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were given 52 ventilators each.

He maintained that the coronavirus testing capacity will be further increased in July.