A report submitted before the Lahore High Court has revealed a stark shortage of ventilators in Punjab’s public hospitals, with only nine ventilators allocated to Lahore, the province’s largest city.
The report, filed by the Punjab Health Services Director General, covered 36 districts and stated that the province has a total of 411 ventilators, with Mianwali (30) and Hafizabad (23) receiving the highest allocations.
Conversely, Sialkot and Chiniot/Khanewal have the lowest, with four and five ventilators, respectively.
The report was submitted in response to a public interest petition highlighting patient deaths linked to ventilator shortages. The petitioners argued that the lack of basic medical facilities contributed to preventable fatalities.
The report also noted a rise in measles cases, with 330 reported this year, compared to 4,000 last year and 6,747 in 2024.
Justice Malik Awais Khalid summoned the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary and the Specialised Healthcare Secretary to appear in person after Eid, seeking details on ventilator availability, the global standards for ventilators, and measures to manage monkeypox cases.
The judge emphasized that the government must be informed if ventilator shortages persist and urged corrective steps to prevent further loss of life.