The Punjab government has prepared standard operating procedures (SOPs) for isolation at home and hinted at implementing them on appropriate time.
In a statement on Friday, Provincial Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that the Chinese doctors have advised to keep coronavirus patients at hospital instead of home.
Dr Yasmin Rashid maintained that ventilators in large numbers are available at hospitals and only seven patients are in critical condition at the moment. Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that the lockdown has led to a decrease in new cases of the novel coronavirus in the province. “We have seen a decrease in the number of new infections after the lockdown,” said Yasmin Rashid.
Commenting over plasma therapy to treat coronavirus patients, she said that Punjab is ready to use the plasma of coronavirus patients for the treatment of newly-confirmed patients.
The minister said that patients in Mayo Hospital are being treated using Hydroxychloroquine. She said that younger patients are recovering in greater numbers because of stronger immune system.
She expressed satisfaction on the effectiveness of lockdown in the province saying that it was imposed in time and helped to curb the spread of the virus, but noted that the situation in Pakistan was, thankfully, under control.
Dr Yasmin, while talking on the topic of plasma, said that plasma is drawn from patients after they test negative for the virus and it could prove to be most useful for patients in critical condition. She said that the government is working on using plasma systematically and is compiling a list of the recovered patients.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid visited the 200-bed Corona Field Hospital at Govt College University Campus Kala Shah Kaku on Friday.
GCU Vice Chancellor Dr Asghar Zaidi, Additional Secretary Development Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Omar Farooq and officials of the department accompanied the Minister to the site prepared for the quarantine facility for Corona patients. The Vice Chancellor GCU Dr. Asghar Zaidi briefed the Minister about the arrangements made at the 200-bedded facility. The facility has been developed for lab confirmed patients with best available services. The patients getting confirmed at the Quarantine Center Kala Shah Kaku will be transferred to the Field Hospital.
The minister said: “We have made necessary arrangements here to meet an emergency situation although all of our efforts are focused at containing and controlling the transmission of the virus. I request all people to stay at home and stop going out. The final decision of lockdown will be made after analysis of the situation on 14th April. We have continued food supply chain as much as possible.
Separate relief is being arranged for labourers and daily wagers.”
