KARACHI - Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday chaired a meeting of all provincial Deputy Commissioners except that of Karachi, where it was decided to establish an isolation centre in each district headquarter of the province amid coronavirus pandemic.

“The concerned deputy commissioners will establish a Quarantine facility in each district headquarter,” the Chief Minister said while chairing the meeting, adding that the government would provide every possible facilities needed in the isolation centre.

He said that they would provide ventilators and other necessary medical equipment to six tertiary care hospitals in the province.

“Overall 450,000 people came back from the Tableeghi Jamaat congregation,” he said while speaking on efforts to tackle virus outbreak in province and added that several of them who returned to Hyderabad had tested positive for the virus.

He said that they would keep all members of the group in isolation to avoid any spread of the virus. “If anyone of them would feel deterioration in health condition, he will be shifted to a hospital,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho confirmed two new deaths from novel coronavirus in Karachi, raising the provincial death tally to 13.

Provincial Health Minister Azra Fazl Pechuhu said that both patients were tested positive on April 1 and were cases of local transmission. The patients were 82 and 60 years old and had underlying health conditions

“We can confirm 2 more deaths in Karachi. Both patients were tested positive on 1st April & were cases of local transmission. They also had underlying health conditions,” reads a Tweet by Sindh Health Department.

This brings the total number of deaths in Sindh to 13.

Meanwhile, 22 new cases of novel coronavirus were confirmed in Sindh on Friday, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 783.

According to the Sindh health ministry, six cases were reported in Karachi, 14 in Hyderabad and two cases were registered in Ghotki. As many as 707 patients infected with the virus are under treatment in the province.

A total of 65 patients have recovered from the pandemic so far in the province.

The number of local transmission of the cases has soared to 438 in Sindh, while 7504 people have been tested for the coronavirus infection so far.

Coronavirus cases

reported in Badin,

Sujawal districts

The first case of coronavirus reported positive in district Sujawal. According to health officials, the coronavirus test of Gul Mohammad Bhurano, was positive. He has no travel history, the official said. Focal Person for COVID-19, visited the patient’s house and briefed other family members about the sensitivity of the situation. The family members assured the visiting official of full cooperation for medical treatment and safety of other family members.

Meanwhile, in Badin district on Friday reported first case of the deadly virus and was shifted to an isolation ward in Indus hospital for the treatment.

The patient 35 was reportedly had gone to Karachi few days ago where he was suspected to contract the virus. After the confirmation the family members of the patient were kept in Quarantine and policemen were deployed outside their house in Badin town.

While, parliamentary leader of GDA and MPA from Badin Barrister Hasnain Mirza in his press statement showed his grief over the first case and requested the people to remain indoor and obey the orders of Sindh government. “We all try our best to cooperate with the local administration in the collective efforts to fight with the virus,” he added.

After the increase in number of cases in lower parts of Sindh, the Health Department seems helpless, as the majority government hospitals in rural and remotes areas seem to be untrained and unskilled to deal with a potential outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19), as they lacks testing kits for coronavirus, Quarantine centers in rural areas, ICU trained staff, sufficient number of beds, ventilators, trained doctors, paramedics and personal protective equipment to deal with the pandemic, The Nation has learnt.

A survey reveals, only Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro/Hyderabad (LUMHS) have the facility of testing and diagnosing coronavirus tests.

Healthcare staff of major public health hospitals have been ignored to the extent that no official has been included in the task force at district levels for their technical and medical-relevant advise, which daily meets and decides how to tackle the threat of coronavirus and how to treat patients who have so far been tested positive for the highly contagious viral disease.

 

The only political figures appointed by Chief Minister Sindh as Focal Person for each district and district administration staff taking all the major decision to combat Covid-19. This has created a lot of gap between healthcare staff and district administration.

 

During the survey, it was observed that no Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) had been provided to these district hospitals, Taluka hospital, Rural Health Center, Basic Health Unit, and dispensaries by the Sindh government.

The health official said, they had acquired PPE and masks from the different philanthropist and social welfare organization or purchased their own, at the start of coronavirus outbreak in Karachi, but the Sindh government and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) sindh provided very little quantity of Personal Protective Equipment.

 

The Isolation wards established in rural areas of Sindh seemed a big joke for the public, without any facilities at the centers, it lacks water, meal, power and other basic services. A similar situation was being observed at the comprehensive school (Quarantine center), which had eight confirmed and 105 suspected coronavirus patients in the recent days.

 

The situation in lower parts of Sindh could be very alarming in coming days, as Deputy Commissioner Tando Mohammad Khan in his recent talk told the media that the cases could be soared to thousands in district.

 

The DHQ Hospital building was the largest health facility in district. However, doctors were in an acute shortage of Protective Equipment, medicines and machinery, officials said, adding that in case of any coronavirus positive case, the hospital staff and patients could contract the infection due to lack of tanning and facilities.