Coronavirus Update: Highest single-day death toll in Sindh

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Karachi’s intensive care hospital beds were reported filled with critically ill COVID-19 patients on June 5, as the provincial health authorities registered yet another 1,353 new cases, with 40 related deaths, an all days’ highest toll, across the province. Earlier, Sindh had reported a maximum of 38 deaths on May 30. 

Officially on June 5, it was learnt that as many as 129 patients, including 81 off ventilator patients, were under treatment at 10 public and private health facilities in Karachi, in addition to 196 those who were occupying beds in high dependency beds at 11 hospitals, out of a total 374 reserved for COVID-19 patients.

ICU beds were vacant at the Aga Khan University Hospital (6 beds), National Institute of Child Health (2) and Ziauddin Hospital North Nazimabad (one). 

Literally, two of the hospitals reserved for COVID-19 patients in Karachi conceded on June 5 that they were not in a position to accept new coronavirus patients as they had run short of beds. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his routine daily message related to COVID-19, shared that at present 370 patients were in critical condition, including 62 on ventilators. 

According to Sindh health department summary released on June 5, the latest 40 deaths pushed the COVID-19 tally to 615, which constituted about 33% of the total deaths (1,878) having occurred in the country. Sindh’s case fatality rate came as 1.7%.

As many as 30 patients lost their lives in Karachi, including one out of Karachi resident, while two persons each perished at Shikarpur, Khairpur, Kashmore and Jacobabad. Hyderabad and Kambar Shahdadkot reported a death each. 

However, the COVID-19 daily summary did not mention ages of people succumbing to the lethal virus, in contrary to its norms. 

To many media persons covering coronavirus authorities’ long prevailing practice of not disclosing the names of hospitals, where the patients died, remained a matter of concern also. 

The new infections, according to health department, were reported from Karachi (1,089), Hyderabad (63), Ghotki (42), Khairpur (28), Sukkur (27), Jacobabad (17), Larkana (13), Mirpurkhas (12), Sanghar (11), Umerkot (6), Tando Mohammad Khan (6), Kashmore (6), Umerkot (6), Naushero Feroze (3), Dadu (3), Shikarpur (2), Jamshoro (2), Shaheed Benazirabad (1), Thatta (1), Sujawal (1) and Tando Allahyar (1). 

According to official sources, overall 15 testing centres conducted a total of 7,377 tests, against a cumulative capacity of 8,650 tests. 

All the laboratories with the exception of Hashmanis, DUHS Ojha and Ziuddin Hospital conducted tests below their respective determined capacities. 

The sources further revealed that 20 patients whose deaths were confirmed on June 4 included three patients dying off ventilators; two died at home, while another one was not clinically indicated or advised by doctors. Sindh tested 215,860 samples so far, out of which 34,889 were found positive for COVID-19.

In the meantime, it was learnt that of the 615 deaths Sindh reported over 110 died at homes. As many as 69 patients have died at JPMC, 67 at DUHS, 60 at SIUT, 57 at AKUH, 51 at Indus Hospital, 48 at CHK, 36 at Ziauddin Hospital, 15 at PNS Shifa, 14 at LUMHS Hyderabad and Lyari General Hospital (10). 

Meanwhile, a team from Islamabad including Dr Faisal Sultan, Prime Minister’s focal person on COVID-19 and Brig Ali Adil, Chief of Staff of National Command and Operation Centre, visited the Civil Hospital Karachi on June 4 to obtain first hand insight of Karachi’s healthcare capacity and fostering enhanced cooperation and coordination with NCOC. 

Senior officers led by Medical Superintendent, Dr Khadim H Quraishi, apprised the team about the coronavirus treatment related intensive care facilities available at the hospital, a source informed.