MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has decided to increase the number of beds in intensive care units (ICUs) for Covid-19 patients in all 10 district headquarters, as the region`s tally swelled to 604 on Saturday following emergence of 30 more positive cases overthe past24 hours.

According to an official press release, nine of the new Covid-19 patients belonged to Muzaffarabad, five to Sudhnoti, four to Bhimber, three each to Mirpur and Poonch, two each to Kotli and Neelum and one each to Haveli and Jhelum Valley.

Earlier, a high level meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, was told that 389 beds had been made available for Covid-19 patients in 11 AJK hospitals, where 136 doctors and around 200 nurses and paramedics were taking care of them.

In view of the sharp increase in the number of infected persons, the meeting resolved to not only increase the number of beds but also the testing capacity by installing four more PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) machines.

In this regard, it was decided thatthe capacity of the New PM House Muzaffarabad alone would be enhancedto300beds.

The New PM House was converted from quarantine centre to (second) Covid-19 hospital in Muzaffarabad after the sudden spike in patients in the capital and its surrounding areas.

The meeting further decided that the health workers detailed at isolation hospitals and centres would be provided specific training as well as separate accommodation to ensure the safety of their family members.

The meeting also approved installation of central oxygen systems in all major hospitals in the state which were devoid of this facility.

The prime minister stressed that the complaints of patients in all isolation centres and hospitals should be addressed on priority basis.

`An effective mechanism should be worked out to ensure that the patients do not suffer any problems,`he said.

Mr Haider maintained that since the provinces, AJK and GB had been authorised under a national policy to take decisions according to their peculiar conditions and needs, the AJK government had re-enforced locl
`Initially, we had enforced the strictest lockdown which produced dividends, but later we had to go by the national policy,` he said.

This was a reference to the perception that relaxation in the lockdown, in line with the federal government`s policy, had cast an adverse impact on AJK government`s effective efforts regarding containment of the pandemic in the territory.

According to the press release, the prime minister accorded approval for immediate release of funds for implementation of the decisions taken at the meeting.

Meanwhile, in his regular media briefing AJK Minister for Information Technology Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi saidonSaturdaythatsofar10,578 persons had been tested in AJK, of whom 604 had turned out to be positive.

Of these 604, 12 had lost their battle with the disease while 250 had recovered, he said, adding, the remaining 342 patients were undergoing treatment.

Mr Abbasi said that 64 ventilators in AJK hospitals were in functional condition. Tariq Nagash