ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Rehman Malik was put on a mechanical ventilator after he struggled to breathe due to coronavirus-related complications, his spokesperson said Wednesday.
The former interior minister had tested positive for the viral disease some two weeks ago and shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital in Islamabad after his condition deteriorated.
He was put on a ventilator on Tuesday after his condition worsened, said Riaz Ahmad Turi who added the virus attacked his lungs.
A mechanical ventilator is used to support patients with severe respiratory conditions that impact the lungs, including pneumonia.
Before a patient is placed on a ventilator, medical staff — often anaesthetists — will perform a procedure called intubation.
After a patient is sedated and given a muscle relaxant, a tube is placed through the mouth and into the windpipe.
The procedure is routine but, with Covid-19 patients, medical staff need to take extreme precautions to make sure they do not become infected with the virus.
