There are only 411 ventilators available in hospitals for Punjab’s population of 120 million.
The Director General Health Care Services has submitted a detailed report on ventilators in Punjab’s hospitals to the Lahore High Court. According to the report, 411 ventilators are available for patients in hospitals across 36 districts of the province.
The report states that District Mianwali has the highest number with 30 ventilators, while Sialkot has the lowest with only four ventilators. Lahore has nine, Rawalpindi 18, Hafizabad 23, and Vehari 10 ventilators. It was explained that ventilators are critical medical devices installed in hospitals providing advanced healthcare facilities, and their purpose is to provide artificial breathing support to critically ill patients.
Justice Khalid Ishaq of the Lahore High Court had sought details of ventilators on a petition regarding judicial activism. It was stated that trained staff have been appointed to operate the ventilators, and a special mechanism has been established for their monitoring.
The report further said that emergency arrangements have been made for the treatment of patients suffering from severe respiratory problems.
