LAHORE: Outdoor patients departments (OPDs) of all private and government hospitals in Punjab have been opened with precautionary measures amid coronavirus outbreak, media reported on Thursday. The OPDs have been opened in line with the directions of the Supreme Court to facilitate the patients after 17 days. Strict precautionary measures have been put in place to avoid the deadly virus transmission. In a letter, Specialized Healthcare And Medical Education Department Lahore had directed the Punjab Healthcare Commission’s CEO to ensure that the OPDs at all the public and private hospitals were providing services to the patients. Earlier on March 22, amid rising number of coronavirus cases in the province, the Punjab government had decided to shut out-patient departments (OPDs) at all the public sector hospitals for the patients of Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) to facilitate the people infected with the deadly virus. In a notification, the provincial health department had directed all the government hospitals to close OPDs for the patients of ENT and skin. The hospitals had also cancelled the scheduled surgeries of eye patients.
