Punjab government asks private hospitals to brace for COVID cases

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 10

Punjab government has asked private hospitals to put off all elective surgeries at least until April 30 to help accommodate COVID patients—a development that comes as the state braces for an already raging second wave of infections.

Punjab’s Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare Hussan Lal, who chaired a virtual meeting with private hospitals in the state on Saturday, told the hospitals they should stick to government charges for treatment to avoid overcharging.

Some 213 private hospitals in the state are currently equipped to deal with COVID-19 cases. The state government has provided 230 ventilators to private hospitals.

The government had provided a stock of 20,000 doses Remdisivir to government and private hospitals, he said. This is significant especially in the light of reports of short supply of the drug in states like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

Hussan Lal also asked hospitals in the state to ensure they refer patients who needed higher care to other care centres suitably and in time.

Any demands for oxygen supply must be promptly communicated to the district civil surgeon, he said.

Principal Secretary for Medical Education and Research DK Tiwari meanwhile urged vaccination centres to intensify inoculation, and ensure there’s no wastage of the vaccines.

Punjab is among the states reporting the highest COVID-19 cases in the country. The state reported 3,459  cases and 56 deaths on Friday, the highest number of infections  since the pandemic began last March.

There are worries about vaccines being in short supply in the state—the state government under Chief Minister Amarinder Singh says the state is likely to run out of vaccines in five days.