Punjab's Covid caseload up, govt puts off elective surgeries

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 4

In wake of the surge in Covid cases, the Health Department has suspended all elective surgeries in government hospitals for the next 15 days.

In a communication sent to all civil surgeons, the Director, Health Services, has asked them to postpone all elective surgeries. “You all know that an upsurge in cases of Covid-19 is being witnessed in the state. The increased number of cases will require the services of more healthcare staff,” it said.

Keeping this in view, the communication said, “You are requested to postpone the elective surgeries in all government healthcare facilities in your district for the next 15 days so that the healthcare staff can be made available for Covid-19 duties.”

However, it must be ensured that emergency services, mother and childcare and trauma services are provided without interruption, it added.

Significantly, the number of cases has seen a sudden spike in the past three weeks. In the last two weeks, around 200 deaths and 8,000 cases were reported. Four districts — Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Patiala — have reported around 55 per cent of the total cases.

Meanwhile, the state reported 488 fresh cases and 20 deaths in the last 24 hours. The count of Covid-19 has reached 19,015. Once again, Ludhiana topped in terms of casualities with seven deaths. Five deaths each were reported from Patiala and Jalandhar, one each from Fatehgarh Sahib, Sangrur and Gurdaspur.

In terms of cases too, Ludhiana continued to be the worst affected district as it reported 222 cases, followed by Amritsar (39), Sangrur (36), Jalandhar (34) and Patiala (19).