—Capacity of Expo Center Field Hospital to be raised from 1,200 to 1,500 in light of increasing cases
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that 383 new cases of coronavirus have been detected during last 24 hours which is the first highest figures of last 61 days of coronavirus emergency, February 26 to April 26.
In his video message released by the CM’s House on Sunday, the chief minister disclosed that 3,028 tests were conducted against which 383 cases, including 301 cases in Karachi were detected, constituting 12 per cent of the tests.
“This is the highest figure ever reported during the 61 days COVID-19 emergency,” he said, adding, “it shows the situation is going from bad to worse and we would have to take extraordinary measures.”
He said that so far, 41,216 tests have been conducted against which 4,615 cases or 11.2 per cent have been diagnosed as positive.
The Sindh CM also said that three more patients died due to coronavirus infection and lifted the death toll to 81 or 1.8 per cent of the total patients.
He added that at present, 3,662 patients were under treatment, of the 2,432 of 66 per cent in Home Isolation, 767 or 21 per cent at Isolation centres and 463 or 13 per cent in different hospitals.
The chief minister said that 41 patients were in critical condition and 12 of them were on ventilators. “The doctors were struggling to save their lives,” he said. He added that 70 patients recovered and were discharged for their homes. “Our 872 or 18.9 per cent of patients have recovered so far,” he said.
Similarly, Central has 594 cases with 99 new ones, District East has 676 cases including 66 new cases, Korangi has 318 cases with 26 new cases, Malir has 272 cases with 10 new cases, South has 895 cases with 80 cases and West has 322 cases with 20 new cases.
He said that the province of Sindh has 4615 cases, of them, 3,077 were in Karachi. “This is a serious situation,” he said and added he would have to establish more filed hospitals/Isolation Centers.
Syed Murad Ali Shah said that that two more flights from Malaysia and Dubai have landed in Karachi.
He added that both the flights have brought 505 stranded Pakistanis and all of them have been kept in quarantine.
He said that the health department has started collecting their samples to test them and by Monday their results would come out.
The chief minister just after going through the coronavirus situation report, he called another meeting of health department which was attended by provincial ministers, chief secretary, Karachi commissioner and deputy commissioners (DCs).
The chief minister said that the number of new patients was increasing day by day, therefore the government would have to enhance bed capacity of Isolation Centers by enhancing the capacity of the exiting field offices and establishing new centres.
He directed the Karachi commissioner to prepare a plan to enhance the capacity of the Expo Center Field hospital from 1200 to 1500. He also issued a directive for setting up Isolation Center at PAF Museum Convention Center, Dalmia ground, Darul Ehsas Manghopir and other areas.
The chief minister assigned the task of exploring other empty buildings and ground to Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem where Isolation Centres could be established.
He said that the target set for setting up 10,000-bedded facilities should be achieved. He also directed the chief to keep reviewing the equipment requirement and the requirement of doctors and paramedical staff for the proposed facilities.
Presiding over a meeting of divisions and districts, other than Karachi he reviewed the sampling methods, availability of testing kits and directed them to start extensive testing.
The chief minister said that 17 cases have been detected in Sukkur, seven Hyderabad, two each in Khairpur, Thatta Badin, Matiari, Mirpurkhas and, one each in Dadu, Jamshro, Mirpurkhas, and Larkana.
Syed Murad Ali Shah directed Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho to send special teams of lab experts to visit each and every district to guide them for collecting samples. “Maybe a collection of samples not up to the mark,” he said.
The chief minister directed all the deputy commissioners to improve their health facilities, encourage people to adopt social distancing in their respective areas.
