Karachi:Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presiding over a COVID-19 response meeting here on Wednesday at CM House has directed the provincial health department to make at least 500 monitors and 200 ventilators available in Sindh apart from completing 50-bedded hospital Gulistan-e-Jauhar and 200-bedded Infection Disease Control Hospital, NIPA latest by June 2020.
“We have arranged Rs2.7 billion to upgrade the existing facilities and operationalize two new hospitals in the city and hopefully with their start, the government would be able to accommodate a large number of patients in case of further spread of pandemic.”
The meeting was attended by Minister Health Dr Azra Pechuho, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi, Prof. Dr Bari, and other officers of the health department.
Shah was told that in 10 different hospitals in the city, 131-bedded ICUs and 174-bedded HDUs had been established. At present, 61 ICU beds and nine HDUs beds were vacant. It was also decided to expand the capacity of ICUs, HDUs and isolation beds facilities existing in 21 hospitals located in different hospitals of the province. They include Karachi: Civil, Trauma Center, Ojha, JPMC, Lyari, Services hospital, Indus, NICH, SIUT, AKU, Ziauddin. LUH Hyderabad, PMC Shaheed Benazirabad, Civil Hospital Khairpur, GIMS Gambat, GMMMC Sukkur, CMC Larkana, SASIM Sehwan, DHQ Kotri, Indus hospital Badin, JIMS Jacobabad.
At present, all these hospitals have 224 ICU beds where 186 additional beds would be added. These hospitals have 268-bedded HDU facilities and they would be given additional 268 beds. Similarly, these hospitals have 392 and they have 1143-bedded Isolation facilities in which additional 898 beds to be added.
To a question, the chief minister was told that 30 monitors, six new ventilators had been provided to Civil Hospital Karachi. Work on piped oxygen in medical 1 and 2, wards and surgical 1 and 2 wards have been completed while negative pressure piping of surgical ICU which would have the capacity of 27-beds has also been completed. The 85-bedded medical wards 1 and 2 would be made functional by providing them 60 more monitors. Similarly, surgical 1, 2 and 27 ICU and 53-bedded HDU would be made function by providing them 23 vents and 53 monitors.
Gulistan-e-Jauhar: The chief minister was told that the structure of 50-bedded hospital Gulistan-i- Jauhar located opposite Karachi University is ready to use. Presently, oxygen pipeline was being laid and work would be completed by the end this week.
On the recommendation of health department, the chief minister approved Rs95.7 million for purchase of equipment such as ABG machine, BIPAP machines, four ventilators, 40 monitors, two portable suction machines, one portable x-ray machine, two ECG machines, 30 syringe PUMP, 30 Infusion PUMP, three crash trollies, two defibrillators, two portable monitors, 35 beds, four IC and a 500 KVA generator. The chief minister gave four to six weeks to the health department to make the hospital functional and report him.
IDCH NIPA: The chief minister was told that 200-bedded Infection Disease Control Hospital NIPA was being developed with high flow oxygen and intensive care unit. It is a three-storey building. The structure of the hospital is ready to shift but necessary installation and fixing of hospital equipment have been started.
Shah directed health department to make 54-bedded ground and first floor functional within next five weeks. The private hospitals have been directed to expand their ICUs and HDUs as per government request. The Sindh chief minister said that over Rs2.7 billion had been released to purchase equipment to upgrade the existing facilities.