Karachi:Sindh Health Department and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation have badly ignored the several deadly diseases while focusing its energies combating Coronavirus, as more than 15, 000 operations have been postponed in last two months in Karachi city.
The delay in treatment and operations has put thousands of patients at stake in Karachi city. The major Karachi hospitals including Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases , National Institute of Child Health and others have postponed the routine surgeries for indefinite period due to COVID-19 emergency.
Sources at KMC and Sindh Health Department told that about 400 minor and major surgeries were performed each day in Karachi hospitals before declaration of Coronavirus emergency. However, now only 100 to 150 emergency surgeries are being performed every day in the megacity.
An official at Civil Hospital Karachi told PPI that about 30 to 40 surgeries are being done in hospital as compared to 150 in normal days. The number of surgeries in ASH, NICH, NICVD, KIHD and other hospitals has also decreased than routine days.
The number of admissions in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) has also declined after announcement of lockdown and shortage of transport. Presently, 40 to 50 surgeries are being conducted at JPMC and number of surgeries have also decreased 50 percent.
The ratio of cardiac and pediatric related surgeries have also reduced in National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and National Institute of Child Health since 20 March. The KMC hospitals were also facing same situation since beginning of Coronavirus emergency in the megacity. Medical Superintendent, CHK, Dr Khadim Hussain Qureshi, was not available for comments.