The government of Sindh has decided to increase the number of ICU and HDU beds at public hospitals in Karachi as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. As more cases surface, hospitals are running out of beds. Major shortages for patients who need to be hospitalised have been reported over the past few weeks. In light of this Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced on Friday that the government will be increasing beds and facilities in major hospitals. The chief minister said the NDMA would provide the province 73 ICU beds and 428 HDU beds which will be distributed in these hospitals. Qatar Hospital will get 16 ICU and 64 HDU beds. Qatar Hospital Orangi will be provided 20 ICU and 55 HDU beds. Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad will get 18 ICU and 57 HDU beds, while the Sindh Government Hospital Karachi will be given 10 ICU and 65 HDU beds. The government will give eight ICU and 34 HDU beds to the Sindh Government Hospital Metroville and 100 additional HDU beds to AbbasiShaheed Hospital. The Sindh CM also approved the supply of equipment and medicine to Karachi’s Expo Field Isolation Centre for its High Dependency Unit. “We are trying to expand services but COVID-19 cases are also rising,” said Shah, adding that Karachi was reporting the highest number of cases due to its dense population. There have been 37,493 cases in Karachi out of the 46,828 in Sindh. The city has reported 638 deaths. The meeting at CM House was attended by Health Minister DrAzra Pechuho, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Brigadier Sami, Principal Secretary Sajid Jamal Abro, Health Secretary KazimJatoi, Finance Secretary Hassan Naqvi and other government officials.
