In a press briefing organized at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Dr Muhammed Aasim Yusuf, Chief Medical Officer of the hospital, shared updates on the hospital’s ongoing fight on both fronts, cancer and coronavirus.
As a cancer hospital, Shaukat Khanum Hospital has certain expertise, especially in the area of infection control,that many other hospitals often lack and for this reason, the Hospital has taken unprecedented steps to fight Ccovid-19 by conducting awareness sessions for the public and sharing guidelines for the healthcare professionals. The Hospital has published several informative videos on its website so that people can access credible information from the safety of their homes.
Dr Aasim Yusuf shared in detail various steps that the Hospital has taken in this moment of national crisis. The hospital’s 11-bed Intensive Care Unit has been expanded to 35 beds, all equipped with ventilators.
An entire inpatient area with 50 rooms has been dedicated to Covid-19 patients. The recently established Camp Covid is screening more than hundred patients on average, every day. Moreover, in collaboration with Government of Punjab, we have conducted 2,300 Covid-19 tests so far. The testing kits are provided by the Government while other resources are expended by the Hospital.
Apart from this, the Hospital has also conducted 500 tests with its resources at the cost of over four million rupees. The Camp Covid-19 is not only for registered cancer patients of the Hospital but it also serves all other patients who full-fil the screening criteria. If patients are tested positive but have mild symptoms, they are advised to quarantine themselves at their homes while others who have severe symptoms are admitted for supportive care.
As cancer patients often have weakened immune systems, all non-emergency surgeries and procedures have been temporarily delayed while chemotherapy and radiotherapy of our registered patients continues.
Dr Aasim clarified that all patients in Camp Covid are screened without charges and those who cannot afford treatment are provided free services, just like we provide free treatment to deserving cancer patients who are 75% of all patients seen at the Hospital. Shaukat Khanum Hospital has initiated this battle on two fronts with the advice of its Board of Members and trust of its donors and all the relevant stakeholders.
In the end, Dr Aasim Yusuf reiterated the importance of social distancing and regular hand washing with soap and water to prevent the spread of this virus. He also appealed to the public to remember Shaukat Khanum Hospital when giving Zakat and donations this Ramzan so the hospital can continue with its mission of serving humanity.