Non-emergency surgeries put on hold amid surge

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 20

Owing to the sudden surge in hospitalisation of Covid-19 patients, Patiala Health Department today issued directives to halt elective surgeries scheduled in the hospitals across the district.

Patiala Civil Surgeon Dr Satinder said the department has directed government and private hospitals to postpone all elective surgeries until March 31 to spare beds for critical Covid patients.

“We need to have beds for corona patients in the hospitals as cases are rising exponentially. It is a precautionary measure and we will resume surgeries once the Covid situation is under control,” Dr Satinder said.

Currently, around 180 Covid patients are under treatment in various Covid dedicated hospitals in the district.

Patiala reports 251 cases

Meanwhile, Patiala reported 251 fresh cases today, taking the tally in the district to 19,785. Block C of Model Town has been declared a micro-containment zone.

Punjabi University is new Covid hotspot

After Thapar University, Punjabi University has now become a Covid-19 hotspot in the city. As many as 34 faculty members have tested positive for coronavirus in the past two days.

With the new cases, as many as 54 people from the Punjabi University, including students, have already tested positive over the past week.