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Monday, March 30, 2020

Coronavirus patients rise in Sindh


By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Sindh Health Minister, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, on March 29, declared that Sindh had two more deaths due to Coronavirus infections in Karachi the previous day.

“We received the lab reports of the two patients after they had passed away and we found out that the cause of death in both the cases was pneumonia along with COVID-19. The patients were 83 and 70 years old respectively,” she revealed. 

Meanwhile, Sindh reported another 33 corona positive tests, all in Karachi, by 7 pm PST on March 29. According to the data, made available by the Sindh health department, the province, which reported its first Coronavirus positive cases on February 26, witnessed an increase of 19% in it's over all corona test tally. 

The tally increased up to 5,945 on March 29 against 4,810 of the previous day. The overall corona infection rate came as 8.44%, which was 9.75% on March 28.. 

A source privy to the corona control activities said that in the case of Karachi, which mostly received the air travelers from corona infected countries, there were 171 (74%) local contact cases, out of 230 cases. As such 59 infected travelers in question or other who could not be traced by local surveillance and cure team so far can be blamed for the spread of the disease in Karachi, the source remarked.

Karachi Mayor seeks Coronavirus testing facilities at more hospitals


By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Anticipating that the testing for the Coronavirus will rise in the coming days in the city, the Karachi Mayor, Wasim Akhter, has urged the Sindh government to designate any of the public sector hospitals located in the central and western districts of Karachi for assessing the people against the virus, which has claimed three lives in the city so far. 

According to sources in the health department, there at present are five health facilities, including two run by the private sector, which have been listed by the government as COVID-19 testing facilities in Karachi. 

The Karachi mayor pointed out to the government that none of the centres in question were accessible by the common man, particularly due to enforcement of partial lockdown across the city, when public transport has come to a standstill following the provincial government’s directives. 

"People of District Central and West were unable to go to the government designated corona testing hospitals due closure of public transport. A hospital from Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Sindh Government Hospital New Karachi and Qatar Hospital Orangi Town can be declared a new testing facility and equipped accordingly," he suggested. 

The mayor in a statement, issued on March 29, asked the Sindh government to provide Coronavirus test facility at one of three public sector hospitals in district Central and West to cater over 10 million people residing there. 

Moreover, he emphasized that the government designated centres, limited in number, cannot cater the entire city, particularly the people of Districts Central and West.

He also demanded from the government to provide precautionary dress (Personal Protective Equipment) for doctors and paramedical staff and kits to the hospitals. 

The Mayor was of the opinion that more people will have to be tested in coming weeks that's why one of the three hospitals he named should be given the test facility. 

He stated that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) was facing shortage of funds, asking the Sindh government to provide kits and other facilities to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital which could cater both the districts. 

"The people of Orangi Town, Manghopir, Banaras, Pahar Ganj, Nusrat Bhutto Colony, Aligarh Colony and other less privileged areas cannot afford to go far as most of the people are daily wages. If they are not provided the facility nearby, their miseries might be increased," he noted.

Tendering his support to federal and provincial governments on behalf of what he said more than 300 elected representatives of local bodies to face this critical situation. 

He also appealed to the philanthropists to come forward and help the needy ones, adding local bodies representatives could be approached for identifying the poor and deserving for any governmental aid. 

In the meantime, residents in some parts of Karachi including Ibrahim Hydery and Liaquatabad came out demanding for free food (ration) supply.

KPT sprays disinfectant to contain Coronavirus


By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) arranged for spraying of disinfectant on the roads and streets of Karachi in an effort to combat the spread of the deadly disease of Coronavirus (COVID-19). 

The management of the KPT took the initiative of engaging trucks to spray the chlorinated water in and around the Keamari Road leading to the port. 

The various portions of the port were also sprayed with disinfectant. The purpose of carrying out the exercise by the KPT authorities was to make the port and surrounding areas safe and free from virus. 

Rear Admiral Jamil Akhtar, Chairman, KPT, in a brief statement, observed that their institution, standing with the people at this critical moment of lockdown, will continue the spraying of disinfectant to contain spreading of Coronavirus.