More than 12,000 elective surgeries have been postponed since the start of lockdown in the Sindh province, putting people suffering from several lethal diseases at a higher risk of experiencing some misfortune.
The delay in treatment and operations have put scores of lives in danger in Karachi.
Major Karachi hospitals where patients have been denied access to healthcare, include Civil Hospital Karachi, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, and National Institute of Child Health have postponed the routine surgeries for the indefinite time period due to COVID-19 emergency.
Sources at KMC and Sindh Health Department told PPI that around 400 minor and major surgeries were performed each day in Karachi hospitals. However, only 80 to 100 surgeries are being conducted every day as compared with the past.
An administrative official at Civil Hospital Karachi wished not to be named told PPI that about 25 to 30 surgeries are being done in the hospital as compared to 150 in the past. The number of surgeries in JPMC, ASH, and other hospitals have also decreased.
The ratio of cardiac and pediatric related surgeries has also reduced in National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and National Institute of Child Health since 20 March. The KMC hospitals were also facing the same situation since the beginning of the coronavirus emergency.
