The Lahore High Court has been informed that only 411 ventilators are available in public hospitals across Punjab to cater to a population of over 120 million.
The detailed report was submitted by the Directorate General of Health Services in compliance with court directions. According to the report, hospitals in all 36 districts of the province collectively have 411 ventilators for patients requiring critical respiratory support.
The data shows that Mianwali has the highest number with 30 ventilators, while Sialkot has the lowest with only four. Lahore has nine ventilators, Rawalpindi 18, Hafizabad 23 and Vehari 10, the report stated.
Ventilators are considered essential medical equipment in advanced healthcare facilities, primarily used to provide artificial breathing support to critically ill patients suffering from severe respiratory complications.
Justice Khalid Ishaq had sought the details while hearing a petition on judicial activism. The court was informed that trained staff had been deployed to operate the ventilators and a special monitoring mechanism had been put in place to oversee their functioning.
The report further stated that emergency arrangements had been made to handle patients facing acute respiratory issues.
