KARACHI:The tally of coronavirus cases in Sindh has risen to 359, including 60 of local transmission which is termed as something to be worried of.
This was disclosed in the 24th meeting of Taskforce on Coronavirus held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at CM House. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, advisor law, chief secretary, IG Sindh, provincial secretaries, representatives of Corps 5, Rangers, WHO, FIA, Airport, civil aviation and others.
Secretary Health told the chief minister that the number of coronavirus cases in Sindh had reached 359. They include 102 in Karachi/Hyderabad, 105 of Sukkur phase-I and 104 of Sukkur phase-II. The health department has conducted 2209 tests, of them 1852 have been declared as negative and 359 as positive.
The chief minister said that the trend of transmission of new cases was on the increase. Giving examples, he said the first case was reported on February 2, 2020, 10 cases on March 9, and 25 on March 19. This is a serious trend and “we would have to observe self-isolation which is the only way out to keep ourselves secure,” he said.
The daily reports of suspects presented in the meeting says that 1874 suspects were identified by government hospitals, of them 21 were found to be fit for test. The private hospitals reported 702 cases and five of them were selected for test.
To a question, the airport authorities told the chief minister that there were 29 flight scheduled to day out of them 12 were cancelled. The 17 flights brought 3428 passengers and all of them were screened and eight of them were declared suspects. Therefore, they were shifted to quarantine unit and their samples were sent for test.
Preparations: The chief minister was told that 220 bedded hospital Kharadar with seven ventilators and 23 ICU/CCU had been maintained. It was pointed out that 2366 nurses were being hired within nest two days, of them 300 would be posted at Expo Center and 690 in other 23 districts.
The chief minister directed the health department to recruit 1500 doctors and 500 technicians within next three days. “We are in dire need of doctors, nurses and technicians to operate the newly established hospitals,” he said.
Expo Center: The chief minister visited Expo Center on Saturday and reviewed the overall arrangements being made there for Isolation Centers and Field Hospital. The chief minister was briefed about the arrangements and requirements. The chief minister directed the commissioner Karachi to purchase machine for Expo Center to destroy solid waste of the patients. “The solid waste may not be transported anywhere in the city and it must be destroyed there,” he said.
Rs11.623 bn released: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that he had released Rs11.628 billion as regular and special grants for government efforts to prevent/control coronavirus in the province during the current financial year. This includes Rs3 billion contributed by the government employees in the government fund.
Shah said that Rs3 billion had been released in the Corona Fund, Rs300 million to Indus, Rs100 million to Directorate of Health, Rs50 million to health department, Rs835.9 million to private partners, Rs6.9 billion for special grant for coronavirus, Rs50 million to DCS Malir, Rs76 million to DC Sukkur, Rs50 million to DC Larkana and Rs250 million to PDMA.
Up-coming expenditures: Shah said that 100 bedded field hospital was being established at Expo Center and to be upgraded to 10,000 beds. Another expenditures to be incurred for developing accommodation facility for the doctors another staff being deputed at expo center.
The chief minister said that 10 hotels may be hired by commissioner Karachi for quarantine. Expenditures would also be incurred for 6000 rooms of labour Square at Northern Bypass.
Murad Ali Shah disclosed that at present there were 827 ventilators with health department which he was going to increase to 5000. “We are also making a plan to support unemployed, daily wagers/labour through organization like Edhi/Saylani.
The chief minister once again urged the people of Sindh to stay at their homes to save yourself and the people of the province and the country.