KABUL (Pajhwok): Public Health Minister Dr. Ahmad Jawad Osmani on Monday said beds for Covid-19 patients had been doubled compared to their number in the first wave of the pandemic.
On the other hand, the National Environment Protection Authority (NEPA) said air pollution had lowered in Kabul this winter compared to last year.
According to MoPH, the coronavirus has infected 52,147 people in Afghanistan since its outbreak, 2,179 others have died and 41,610 people recovered from it.
Dr. Osmani while briefing lawmakers today about the second wave of Covid-19, said that Afghanistan was on the 51st week of the pandemic.
He said the virus infections saw a surge between week 41 and 48, but remained steady from weeks 48 to 51.
Osmani said beds for Covid-19 patients had been doubled in the country’s hospitals compared to their number in the first wave of the pandemic. The number of these beds has reached to 2,150 while half of them remain unused, he said.
Besides the Afghan-Japan Hospital, 17 other state-run hospitals in Kabul are also ready for providing health services to Covid-19 patients, he said.
Osmani added that the World Bank has pledged $100 million and the Asian Development Bank $50 million for procuring Covid-19 vaccine.
Shah Zaman Maiwandi, head of NEPA, told today’s session of the lower house that air pollution level in Kabul was better this year following some efforts.
He said unconstructed roads, using coal and other smoke producing materials in the industry sector contributed 40, 30 and 20 percent to air pollution respectively.
However, he said hundreds of residential blocks, hotels and wedding halls which previously used coal were now equipped with filters and many bakeries that previously used firewood now used liquefied gas.
Mds/ma
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