Pakistan hospitals running out of beds as virus cases surge past 100,000

A man wearing a protective face mask as he gestures while shopping amid the rush of people outside an electronics market in Karachi, Pakistan June 4, 2020. Reuters

Pakistan has recorded more than 100,000 cases of coronavirus, health authorities said Monday, as hospitals warned they are running out of beds to treat patients.

Pakistan - and neighbours India and Afghanistan - have lagged behind Western nations in virus tolls, but experts warn a lack of testing or accurate reporting in rural areas could be hiding true figures.

In recent weeks, however, the country of more than 210 million has reported a sharp rise in new infections, and on Monday the government said more than 100,000 cases and 2,000 deaths had now been recorded.

Last week, a leaked government report suggested there were nearly 700,000 infections in Lahore alone.

Doctors at several main hospitals in the historic eastern city told AFP they were running out of beds, ventilators and other vital equipment.

"As the cases increase, more health care workers are also falling victim to the virus," said Farooq Sahil, a doctor at Services Hospital Lahore.

Khizer Hayat, chairman of the Young Doctors Association of Punjab, said facilities across the province needed help.

"Hospitals are running out of beds; there aren't enough ventilators given to us," he told AFP.

In the southern port city of Karachi, health centres are turning away the sick, with a large sign near the entrance of the Indus hospital stating there was no room for coronavirus patients.

Asad Umar, who heads the national coronavirus task force, said Monday a package to relieve pressure on hospitals was being finalised and would include 1,000 new beds in major cities.

Pakistan's lockdown policy has been patchy at best, with Prime Minister Imran Khan reluctant to call a nationwide shutdown in order to protect the economy.

"The crisis is unfolding now as we have ceased to observe isolation," said Sikander Ali Memon, who is leading Sindh province's anti-virus efforts.

In southwestern Balochistan province, government spokesman Liaqat Shahwani told AFP the situation was serious, and authorities were struggling to cope.

A man exercises at the Ipanema beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Reuters

A health official wearing personal protective equipment takes a sample from a man at a drive-through screening and testing centre in Islamabad. AFP

An elderly woman receives a gift from her grandson on Mother's Day in Saint-Maur-des-Fosses, near Paris. AFP

Congregants attend a church service at an open field in Soweto, South Africa. Reuters

A barber wears a mask while shaving his client in Nairobi, Kenya. Reuters

A woman wearing a protective face mask and shield attends an anti-racism demonstration in Manaus, Brazil. Reuters

Devotees wearing face masks attend a mass in La Paz, Bolivia. AP Photo

A couple ride a scooter along an embankment of the Moscow River during sunset in Russian capital. AP Photo

American soul and gospel singer Michelle David performs in front of a reduced audience of only 30 people at the Paradiso theater in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. EPA

A visitor looking at an aquarium is reflected in the floor of Aquatis, the largest fresh water aquarium-vivarium in Europe, in Lausanne, Switzerland. EPA