Sindh is now witnessing serious repercussions after ease in the lockdown
ISLAMABAD: Sindh is now witnessing serious repercussions after ease in the lockdown as a sharp increase in coronavirus cases has been reported in the province within the past couple of days. Statistics indicate that more than 25,000 cases have been confirmed, the highest out of all the provinces, while about 400 patients have lost their lives. The provincial healthcare system is crumbling under pressure as there is a dearth of hospital beds in ICUs across the province that are rapidly being occupied. More so, the situation, specifically in Karachi, is exacerbating rather rapidly. Out of the 118 hospitals present in the city, 103 have already been filled to their capacity.
The Sindh government has decided to allocate Rs2.7 billion for upgrading the province’s healthcare infrastructure and has ordered the health department to build no less than 500 monitors and 200 ventilators in order to tackle the deteriorating situation. However, contrasting statements have been issued by the chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, who has asserted that there are more than enough PPEs for healthcare workers, and that “everything is under control” since more than 1,350 ventilators are available across the country.
While most countries around the world have reached the peak of the spread, with many witnessing a steady decline in cases, the situation in Pakistan is far from there. The opposing statements from various stakeholders in the country have turned this pandemic into a slow knife that is cutting deep into the very heart of the country. The authorities concerned should decide once and for all on whether to ease the lockdown completely or enforce stern restrictions to rid the citizens of the limbo they are stuck in.
Safa Rehman
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2020.
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