High dependency unit set up at Expo Centre in Karachi
Sindh’s virus tally nears 70,000 cases, with 41 more deaths
A general view of beds set up at an isolation centre. PHOTO: REUTERS
KARACHI:
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the newly-established 140-bed high dependency unit (HDU) at the Expo Centre isolation facility for coronavirus patients on Sunday.
The HDU has been established in collaboration with the Pakistan Army. The move comes amid reports of shortage of space in HDUs and ICUs of the hospitals catering to Covid-19 patients across the city, with several people claiming to have been turned away because of a lack of vacant beds.
Expressing gratitude towards the army, the CM claimed it was the best facility located in the heart of Karachi. "The establishment of the new HDU at the Expo Centre will help reduce pressure on other hospitals of the city," he said, adding that highly-trained healthcare workers had been posted by the Pakistan Army at the medical facility, while the Indus Hospital will also help to operate the unit.
Shah further stated that the Sindh government had established intensive care units with 453 beds and HDUs with 1,553 beds for critically ill Covid-19 patients across the province. After visiting the Expo Centre, the CM also toured the Services Hospital, where a separate infectious diseases unit is being established. He directed the relevant officials to pace up the work so that the unit could be made operational as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, sharing details about the pandemic situation in the province, Shah said that 2,275 more patients were diagnosed with the coronavirus after 13,890 new samples were tested overnight. As a result, Sindh's total virus tally had surged to 69,628 infections.
Meanwhile, the contagious disease has claimed 41 more lives, taking Sindh's death toll to 1,089.
"Our testing capacity is the highest in Pakistan and we are still working to enhance it," he claimed, adding that the ratio of positive cases to the tested samples, which was around 21 to 24 per cent last week, had now dropped to 17 per cent.
He further apprised that 2,166 more patients had regained health after earlier testing positive for the virus, thus taking the total number of recovered patients in Sindh to 36,278. "Our recovery rate has been recorded at 52.2 per cent and death rate at 1.5 per cent, but still we have to improve these statistics by strengthening our health services and convincing people to follow the precautionary measures," he maintained.
Shah added that 30,705 people were currently infected with the virus, of whom 30,705 were in home isolation, 1,508 were being treated at different hospitals and 48 were quarantined at isolation centres. Further, he added, 718 patients were in critical condition, of whom 117 had been shifted on ventilators.
Meanwhile, as many as 1,280 of the newly-reported cases belonged to Karachi alone, he shared. Presenting the district-wise breakup, he said 395 new cases had emerged in East district, 363 in South, 172 in Central, 140 in Korangi, 111 in West and 99 in Malir district.
Meanwhile, Ghotki saw 74 new patients being diagnosed with the disease, Sukkur 72, Khairpur 64, Hyderabad 63, Mirpurkhas and Shikarpur 38 each, Shaheed Benazirabad 36, Kashmore 33, Thatta 28, Larkana 24, Jamshoro 13, Naushero Feroze 12, Umerkot 11, Tando Allahyar 10, Matiari and Dadu six each, Qambar-Shahdadkot three, and Sujawal and Tando Mohammad Khan two apiece.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2020.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the newly-established 140-bed high dependency unit (HDU) at the Expo Centre isolation facility for coronavirus patients on Sunday.
The HDU has been established in collaboration with the Pakistan Army. The move comes amid reports of shortage of space in HDUs and ICUs of the hospitals catering to Covid-19 patients across the city, with several people claiming to have been turned away because of a lack of vacant beds.
Expressing gratitude towards the army, the CM claimed it was the best facility located in the heart of Karachi. "The establishment of the new HDU at the Expo Centre will help reduce pressure on other hospitals of the city," he said, adding that highly-trained healthcare workers had been posted by the Pakistan Army at the medical facility, while the Indus Hospital will also help to operate the unit.
Shah further stated that the Sindh government had established intensive care units with 453 beds and HDUs with 1,553 beds for critically ill Covid-19 patients across the province. After visiting the Expo Centre, the CM also toured the Services Hospital, where a separate infectious diseases unit is being established. He directed the relevant officials to pace up the work so that the unit could be made operational as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, sharing details about the pandemic situation in the province, Shah said that 2,275 more patients were diagnosed with the coronavirus after 13,890 new samples were tested overnight. As a result, Sindh's total virus tally had surged to 69,628 infections.
Meanwhile, the contagious disease has claimed 41 more lives, taking Sindh's death toll to 1,089.
"Our testing capacity is the highest in Pakistan and we are still working to enhance it," he claimed, adding that the ratio of positive cases to the tested samples, which was around 21 to 24 per cent last week, had now dropped to 17 per cent.
He further apprised that 2,166 more patients had regained health after earlier testing positive for the virus, thus taking the total number of recovered patients in Sindh to 36,278. "Our recovery rate has been recorded at 52.2 per cent and death rate at 1.5 per cent, but still we have to improve these statistics by strengthening our health services and convincing people to follow the precautionary measures," he maintained.
Shah added that 30,705 people were currently infected with the virus, of whom 30,705 were in home isolation, 1,508 were being treated at different hospitals and 48 were quarantined at isolation centres. Further, he added, 718 patients were in critical condition, of whom 117 had been shifted on ventilators.
Meanwhile, as many as 1,280 of the newly-reported cases belonged to Karachi alone, he shared. Presenting the district-wise breakup, he said 395 new cases had emerged in East district, 363 in South, 172 in Central, 140 in Korangi, 111 in West and 99 in Malir district.
Meanwhile, Ghotki saw 74 new patients being diagnosed with the disease, Sukkur 72, Khairpur 64, Hyderabad 63, Mirpurkhas and Shikarpur 38 each, Shaheed Benazirabad 36, Kashmore 33, Thatta 28, Larkana 24, Jamshoro 13, Naushero Feroze 12, Umerkot 11, Tando Allahyar 10, Matiari and Dadu six each, Qambar-Shahdadkot three, and Sujawal and Tando Mohammad Khan two apiece.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2020.