As the number of coronavirus cases across the country rises, the number of beds available in hospitals dramatically falls. With an already dysfunctional healthcare system, Pakistan prepares for the worst as coronavirus peak seems imminent. At more than 95,458 cases confirmed so far, the number of total cases has already far exceeded China’s – the epicenter of the outbreak. There are already reports of some private hospitals turning away new coronavirus patients due to a shortage of beds. Government officials have repeatedly claimed that the situation is “under control”. However, top health officials across the country and beyond believe that the current health system simply lacks the infrastructure to handle the coming influx of patients. At this stage, no province possesses either the hospital beds or the ventilators required to take care of the ever-increasing coronavirus patients. However, many believe that the worst is yet to come. Qaisar Sajjad, the Pakistan Medical Association’s secretary-general had the following to say: “June and July are very crucial as we expect a sharp rise in already fast-increasing coronavirus cases in the country.” “I don’t foresee good days ahead vis-a-vis coronavirus cases. They are going to shoot up in coming weeks,” he added whilst worrying that the coming months could break the backbone of the health system. Though the government has taken steps such as launching a mobile app that tells users of available hospital beds and ventilators nearby, it could have little impact as the number of beds are far lower than the number of cases – and the gap is only expected to widen.
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