The Sindh government has decided to increase the number of ventilators and oxygen beds in all Karachi’s government hospitals in view of the increasing number of corona virus cases in city.
This decision was taken in an important meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary Sindh Mumtaz Ali Shah on Wednesday at Sindh Secretariat.
The meeting was attended by the Parliamentary Secretary for Health Qasim Siraj Soomro, Health Secretary Dr Kazim Jatoi, Commissioner Karachi Naveed Ahmed Sheikh, Administrator KMC Laiq Ahmed, Executive Director Jinnah Post Graduate College Hospital Sami Jamali and Medical Superintendents of all government hospitals of Karachi Division.
A briefing on Coronavirus situation was given by the Health Department in the meeting. The health secretary told the meeting that there are 398 ventilators for Covid related patients in government hospitals in Karachi, adding that there are 906 HDU beds and 293 low oxygen beds.
He further informed the meeting that all medical superintendents are empowered to recruit staff and purchase any equipment to meet the requirements.
In the meeting, the Chief Secretary said that this is an emergency and all of you doctors have experience of working in emergency. “There is a lot of pressure on healthcare system at the moment” said Chief Secretary Sindh.
He said that if required doctors and paramedical staff should be recruited in the hospitals for 89 days.
He further said that all Covid beds in hospitals should be functional or else action would be taken against the concerned MS. He added that 32 more ventilators would be added in Karachi by August 4. “An additional 110 HDU beds and 40 low flow beds will also be added” said CS Sindh.
Besides this the Infectious Diseases Hospital will also have 8 ventilators and HDUs for children”.
The chief secretary also directed the secretary health to expand Expo centre Karachi by adding 100 more HDU beds.
The Chief Secretary Sindh directed the Commissioner Karachi and Deputy Commissioner Malir to set up a 100-bed isolation center in Malir for the passengers coming from abroad for which all facilities would be provided by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
He further said that oxygen tanks are also being constructed in Karachi hospitals. In the meeting, Chief Secretary Sindh directed the Finance Department to release all necessary funds required by the hospitals.
During the meeting, QasimSirajSoomro, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, said that it was very important that the heart patients be treated at the NICVD.
