Oxygen supply capacity in Pakistan 'under stress' amid COVID-19 surge

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 19 (ANI): Amid rising COVID-19 cases in Pakistan, the country's government expressed concerns over low compliance of standard operating procedure (SoPs) by people as oxygen supply capacity in the country is now under stress and hospitals are filling up.
"Global covid cases exceeding 750,000 per day and deaths more than 13,000. We are seeing some of the worst numbers since covid started. Our neighbourhood in severe crises... Need for safety precautions greater than ever," Pakistan Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar tweeted.
"Hospital fill up continuing to grow. Critical care patients now above 4500, which is 30 percent higher than peak in June last year. Oxygen supply capacity in the country is now under stress. Sop compliance remains low. We are making a huge mistake by not following sop's," he added.
Pakistan on Monday has reported 5,152 new cases and 73 COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours as the country struggles with the third wave of coronavirus, Dawn reported.
According to statistics shared by National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), the country's nerve center for unified efforts against coronavirus, 60,162 coronavirus tests were taken, 5,152 came out positive, and 73 deaths were reported countrywide in the last 24 hours.
Punjab has detected 2,766 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, The provincial tally of cases has now reached 270,338.
Meanwhile, 27 more people died from the virus in the province, taking the total number of fatalities to 7,457.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 1,062 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections to 106,500.
The province also reported 32 more deaths from the virus, taking the total number of fatalities to 2,899.
Meanwhile, Balochistan recorded 118 cases and no additional deaths. Its caseload has reached 20,940 while the number of fatalities stands at 223.
Pakistan is undergoing the third wave of coronavirus. Making the situation worse, the country is falling behind on the vaccination drive.
The country's government is negotiating with multilateral institutions to secure a USD335 million loan for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines but the money cannot be spent on buying Chinese-origin vaccines.
The government has approached the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for getting loans to procure the vaccines, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs officials. (ANI)