Punjab public hospitals postpone elective surgeries till May 10

The Punjab government has suspended all elective surgeries in public hospitals across the province till May 10, it said Monday.

The decision was taken in view of no respite in Covid-19 cases in the province, the Punjab healthcare department said in its notification.

Tonsils, kidney stone, fracture, hernia, cosmetic and eye surgeries have been suspended with immediate effect. The move is aimed at conserving oxygen in hospitals to treat critically ill virus patients.

Pakistan has been battling the third wave of coronavirus infections, which officials say is more dangerous than the previous two. The healthcare sector in the country has been under immense pressure.

Over 75% of the total oxygen produced in the country has been allocated for the health sector, ISPR DG Major General Babar Iftikhar said Monday.

Oxygen reserved for industry might have to be reallocated to the health sector if the present coronavirus situation persisted, he said.

There are 51 cities where the virus positivity rate is above 5%, according to the ISPR DG. Pakistan currently has 90,000 active cases of the virus.

Of these active cases, he said, 570 are on ventilators and 4,300 patients are in critical condition.