Hospitals in Pakistan are struggling to cope with overwhelming coronavirus infections as they are running out of beds, even though the country is still at least a month away from the projected peak of the pandemic.
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“Hospitals have started refusing to take coronavirus patients as they are running out of beds,’’ Sajjd Qasier, secretary general for the Pakistan Medical Association told dpa.
He said that both public and private hospitals in major cities lack facilities and trained staff to deal with the situation.
“Our health care system would not be able to handle the looming influx of coronavirus patients when we hit the peak,” he said, urging government to improve facilities at hospitals.
Report says the government wants 1,000 more beds with oxygen supply capability in major cities by the end of June.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 108,293.
Health Ministry data showed that related deaths reached 2,172.
No less than 4,646 new cases and 105 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.
Pakistan reported its first coronavirus case on Feb. 26 and is now among the top 15 countries most affected worldwide.
Several parliamentarians, including former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, have been infected with the deadly virus.
Pakistan has the world’s fifth-largest population, with over 220 million people, but a creaking health care system.
The country has 1,279 public hospitals, 5,527 basic health units and 686 rural health centres.
The nation has one doctor for every 963 people and one bed for every 1,608 people.
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