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At least 431 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ventilators in public hospitals across Punjab are non-operational, putting critically ill patients in danger, according to a report by The Express Tribune (TET).
Official government data shows that shortages of ventilators and malfunctioning equipment remain a serious problem in both tertiary and district hospitals. Patients suffering from major trauma, strokes, accidents, respiratory failure and other complex medical conditions frequently need immediate ventilator assistance. The lack of working machines leads to avoidable fatalities and delays in treatment, as cited by the TET report. Health department records indicate that only 1,709 ventilators are presently functional across Punjab, while both international and national healthcare benchmarks require a much higher number. The World Health Organisation (WHO) advises that at least 10 per cent of hospital beds should be equipped with ventilator support, a standard that Punjab is failing to meet. According to bed strength and international norms, the province needs 3,406 ventilators, reflecting a deficit of nearly 1,600 machines. The crisis is worsened by the state of existing equipment. Among the 431 faulty ICU ventilators, 191 are pending repair, 185 have been declared irreparable and 55 have officially been marked as condemned. These numbers underline deep-rooted problems in maintenance, timely repairs and lifecycle management in the public healthcare system. Another alarming issue highlighted in official records concerns ventilators purchased during the Covid-19 pandemic. At least 374 ventilators supplied during the health emergency failed to provide effective clinical results. Many of these machines are incompatible with hospital systems, lack trained personnel to operate them, or are now non-functional due to inadequate after-sales support, TET reported. Health officials revealed that 1,600 new ventilators were requested in the current financial year to bridge the growing gap. However, approval was granted for only 150 ventilators, and even those remain stalled in procurement and tendering processes, delaying relief for overstretched hospitals, the TET report noted. Medical experts warn that the widening gap between demand and supply weakens emergency response capacity. During high-pressure situations such as mass casualty events, seasonal respiratory outbreaks, or heat and smog-related complications, the shortage of ventilators can render hospitals incapable of functioning as life-saving centres, according to the TET report. (ANI)
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