KARACHI: The sanitizing walk-through gates installed at the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) have not been working for several weeks. The four smart sanitizing walk-through gates were installed three months ago with the support of philanthropists to contain the spread of the coronavirus on the hospital’s premises. However, due to some fault, three…
Smart lockdown enforced in Karachi
KARACHI: Commissioner Karachi division has imposed a complete lockdown in specified Unions Councils of Karachi for two weeks from 18 June to 2 July 2020 to control the spread of the coronavirus in the megacity. According to the notification, on the recommendation of the Sindh Health Department and Deputy Commissioners of Karachi division, regarding emergency…
Sindh hospitals face acute shortage pulmonologists and respiratory therapists
KARACHI: The public sector hospitals of the Sindh province have been facing an acute shortage of pulmonologists and respiratory therapists, but no concrete step has been taken in the past to fill these critical posts. Health Experts said a large number of deaths due to the coronavirus are occurring because of lung failure across Pakistan,…
Healthcare workers observe complete strike in Sindh
KARACHI: The doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff of Sindh observed a complete strike across the Sindh province demanding risk allowance and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPEs), amongst other things. The health professionals of Sindh, under the banner of the Grand Health Alliance (GHA), completely boycotted OPDs and general wards from Karachi to Kashmore…
Sindh plans to provide oxygen to COVID-19 patients in home isolation
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Secretary, Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah, said that the number of coronavirus patients is increasing rapidly. With the increasing number of cases, the provincial government is also upgrading the available health facilities. He said that the number of ICUs and HDUs in the province is also being increased and upgraded. He said this…
Grand Health Alliance observe two-hour token strike in Sindh
KARACHI: The Grand Health Alliance (GHA) recently observed a two-hour token strike from Karachi to Kashmore for high-risk allowance for health care workers and other demands after the end of a three-day ultimatum. The doctors, paramedical staff, and nurses of Sindh, under the banner of the Grand Health Alliance, observed a token strike and boycotted…
Letter to the Editor: Front-line Healthcare Women Professionals of Pakistan Regarding COVID-19
Dear Editor, We, the frontline women health care workers, medical students, nurses and doctors of Pakistan are here to share our expert opinion about the COVID19 pandemic. In our role as women in science, we are making these recommendations for the public as well as policymakers and government. For all Pakistanis, who are struggling financially…
Sindh establishes high dependency units with 800 beds to tackle COVID-19
KARACHI: As the Covid-19 situation gets critical in the country with a steep rise in the number of affected patients, the provincial health department recently announced a series of steps to tackle the emerging challenge. These steps included the establishment of five hospitals and high-dependency units with 800 beds. To provide treatment to Covid-19 patients,…
Punjab approves trial of Actemra drug on 1,000 critical COVID-19 patients
LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid says Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has recently approved for the trial of the injectable drug Actemra on 1,000 COVID-19 severe patients. Addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister Secretariat, she said the trials of different medicines were underway across the globe. “In Pakistan, we are also conducting…
Governor Sindh donates plasma for COVID-19 patients
KARACHI: Governor Sindh, Imran Ismail, recently donated his plasma for the treatment of coronavirus patients. Chairman, National Institute of Blood Diseases (NIBD), Dr Tahir Shamsi, was also present on occasion. It is pertinent to mention here that after spending 17 days in isolation after contracting the coronavirus, Governor Sindh announced to donate his plasma for…