Coronavirus Update: Karachi’s fatality rate double than rest of Sindh

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Karachi endured an average of 38 COVID-19 deaths daily during the week ending on July 12 when the provincial health authorities confirmed 48 new fatalities, with 1,713 new infections, taking the death toll to 1,795 and overall infection number to 105,533 for Sindh.

Among the latest COVID-19 fatalities, 47 were registered at hospitals or homes in Karachi, while the 48th death was reported from Hyderabad. 

Karachi’s overall case fatality rate came as almost two percent, against an overall rate of about one percent for the entire districts of Sindh, excluding six districts of Karachi. 

Keen observers understand that the provincial government and particularly the Sindh health department needed to act proactively to meet the challenge. 

The Karachiites have indeed remained puzzled and aggrieved by the continued outburst of COVID-19 related fatalities at public and private hospitals. 

It’s the responsibility of the government now to rush a review of the service delivery and patient management at different hospitals, particularly those reporting deaths frequently or having a patient-load matching not to their equipment and manpower including the special and experienced hands. 

According to an official report, updated on July 12, at Karachi, the newly established Infectious Disease Hospital and Research Centre had 16 intensive care unit (ICU) beds with ventilators and 42 high dependency unit (HDU) beds, but none of them was occupied by any COVID-19 patient.

In addition, the Karachi Expo Centre coronavirus facility had 10 ICU beds and 116 HDU beds vacant, Social Security Kidney Hospital had 11 ICU beds unoccupied, Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital had 12 ICU and 12 HDU beds vacant, DUHS Hospital had 62 HDU beds vacant, Services Hospital had 40 HDU beds vacant, AKU Hospital had 23 HDU beds vacant, CHK had 117 HDU beds vacant, Lyari General Hospital had 145 HDU beds vacant and Ziauddin Hospital, North Nazimabad, had 23 HDU beds vacant, among others.

Those who died during the last 24 hours ending on afternoon of July 12 included 33 men and 15 women.

The COVID-19 infected men (33 in number) who lost their lives at Karachi aged from 35 to 88 years, while 14 women deceased were in the age brackets of 30 to 88 years. A 35-year old woman died at Hyderabad.

However, the health department officials or other government functionaries were silent over the hospital or home status of the people who succumbed to COVID-19.

 A hospital wise distribution of deaths that occurred in Karachi, as of July 11, showed that 106 COVID-19 patients died at AKUH, 187 died at CHK, 129 at Indus Hospital, 192 at JPMC, 185 at DUHS Hospital, 144 at SIUT, 73 at Trauma Centre, 74 at Ziauddin Hospital (ZU) North Nazimabad, 47 at ZU Hospital North Nazimabad, 55 at Lyari General Hospital, among others.

A provincial health department summary revealed that as many as 10,276 new samples were tested by various COVID laboratories across the province during the last 24 hours.

Karachi reported the maximum 963 new cases, followed by Khairpur (172), Shikarpur (59), Larkana (59), Matiari (55), Mirpurkhas (50), Ghotki (41), Sanghar (37), Jamshoro (35), Dadu (32), Kambar Shadadkot (32), Tando Mohammad Khan (31), Thatta (27), Tando Allahyar (21), Badin (19), Jacobabad (19), Kashmore (15), Umerkot (11), Shaheed Benzirabad (10), Sukkur (8), Hyderabad (7), Naushero Feroze (7), Sujawal (2) and Tharparkar (1).

K-Electric has to pay back excess billing amount: Sindh Governor

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Governor of Sindh, Imran Ismail, while expressing his dismay over K-Electric functioning, has assured the Karachiites that they will get back over-billing amounts charged by the utility service provider. 

"I am going to write a letter tomorrow to the utility services provider asking for forensic audit of excessive billing complaints from the public,” he disclosed while talking to a private news channel on July 12. 

He pointed out that irrespective of a penny or thousands of rupees excess billings, the utility service provider has to pay back consumers money.

Balochistan fully supporting CPEC projects

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

Political representatives from Balochistan, while supporting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), have vowed that these projects will bring peace, prosperity and development in the country’s southwest province. 

The assurance was given during a recent webinar, convened by prominent Islamabad-based think tank, the Emerging Policymakers' Institute, and attended by the representatives of Balochistan's mainstream political parties, the Chinese ambassador and officials of the Chinese companies undertaking development projects in the province. 

Speaking at the video conference event, the Balochistan Governor, Amanullah Khan Yasinzai, termed the multibillion dollar project a game changer for the entire region which he said would bring economic development in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan. 

The Chinese Ambassador, Yao Jing, remarked that the CPEC will change the fortune of the province while highlighting the importance of Balochistan to Pakistan. 

“Many projects under the CPEC are underway and the Pakistani people will reap the benefits in years to come,” Ambassador Yao said, adding that China and Pakistan has had a close friendship and China will stand besides Pakistan through thick and thin. 

The political parties' representatives reiterated their commitment to making CPEC a success and pledged to expand the role of Balochistan and increase opportunities for the province in CPEC.

The participants also appreciated the responsible role that China has been playing in combating COVID-19 at home and abroad, and thanked the Chinese government for the help it has extended to Pakistan to fight against the pandemic.

Pakistan achieves another CPEC milestone

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

With the launch of various projects in diverse fields under the auspices of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan has achieved another milestone as new optical fibre cable from Khunjirab to Islamabad has been operationalized.

According to the Chairman CPEC Authority, General Asim Saleem Bajwa, at the first stage the optical fibre cable has been operationalized from Khunjirab to Islamabad. 

Through his twitter message, he further announced that in next phase the system will be laid from Islamabad to Karachi and from Islamabad Gwadar. 

He pointed out that this step was a part of digital highway plan as well as it would be helpful to lay the foundation for digital and IT revolution, a project being done in conjunction with China.

The operationalization of new optical fibre cable has been widely lauded by cross section of population, as after launching of different mega projects under the CPEC, digital traffic between Pakistan and China has increased manifolds. 

Now people, particularly businessmen from both sides can conveniently access each other through introduction of the state of the art optical fibre cable system.