Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presiding over a Covid-19 response meeting here on Wednesday at the CM House directed the health department to make at least 500 monitors and 200 ventilators available in Sindh apart from completing a 50-bed hospital in Gulistan-i-Jauhar and 200-bed Infectious Diseases Control Hospital at NIPA latest by June 2020.
"We have arranged Rs2.7 billion to upgrade the existing facilities and make two new hospitals operational 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 the 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-bed ICUs and 174-bed HDUs have been established. At present 61 ICU beds and nine HDU beds were vacant.
It was also decided to expand the capacity of ICUs, HDUs and isolation beds in 21 hospitals located in different parts of the province. They include Civil, Trauma Center, Ojha, JPMC, Lyari, Services Hospital, Indus, NICH, SIUT, AKU and Ziauddin in Karachi. LUH in Hyderabad, PMC in Shaheed Benazirabad, Civil Hospital in Khairpur, GIMS in Gambat, GMMMC in Sukkur, CMC in Larkana, SASIM in Sehwan, DHQ in Kotri, Indus Hospital in Badin and JIMS in Jacobabad.
The chief minister was told that 30 monitors and six new ventilators had been provided to the Civil Hospital Karachi.
The chief minister was informed that the structure of a 50-bed hospital in Gulistan-i-Jauhar was ready for use.
On the recommendation of the health department, the chief minister approved Rs95.7 million for purchase of equipment.
The chief minister was told that a 200-bed Infectious Diseases Control Hospital was being developed at NIPA with high flow oxygen and intensive care unit. It is a three-story building.
Shah directed the health department to make 54-bed ground and first floor functional in the next five weeks.
The private hospitals have been directed to expand their ICUs and HDUs as per government request. Sindh chief minister said that over Rs2.7 billion had been released for purchase of equipment to upgrade the existing facilities.