Coronavirus Update: Hospitals run out of beds as records tumble in fresh spike

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh witnessed an increase of about 12,000 COVID-19 cases during the last one week, as the health authorities on June 11 declared another 3,038 new cases, the highest single-day tally of infections in the province, with 38 deaths.  

The province only the other day (June 10) had recorded the highest one-day tally of corona infections (2,487), with 42 related deaths. The toll started increasing phenomenally for the past couple of days after the province registered on an average 1,553 new cases daily during a period from June 5 to June 9.

With a total 46,828 COVID-19 infection cases since February 26 when Sindh reported the first coronavirus positive case in Karachi resident having travelled to Iran, the then hot spot of the lethal COVID-19 virus, the province stood ahead of other regions including Punjab (45,463 cases, with 841 deaths). 

Punjab had registered its highest one-day new infection figure as 2,641 on June 9 while the maximum 58 deaths, the highest one day, among the provinces, on June 8, according to the national COVID-19 dashboard. 

As per the Sindh health department's daily summary, 30 patients, including 17 men and 13 women lost their lives in Karachi on June 11. 

The deceased men were in the age brackets of 35 to 85 years while women aged between 30 to 85 years. Sukkur and Khairpur registered deaths of two men and two women, respectively. The deceased persons in the two districts aged between 37 and 63 years. 

In addition, Mirpurkhas and Kashmore reported one death each of woman, while Khairpur, Hyderabad and Larkana registered death of a woman each. 

 According to the summary, Karachi reported the maximum 2,471 new cases during the last 24 hours, ending at 9 am on June 11, followed by Sukkur (99), Hyderabad (86), Larkana (78), Ghotki (69), Shaheed Benazirabad (28), Shikarpur (24), Shikarpur (24), Jacobabad (23), Khairpur (22), Jamshoro (22), Sanghar (20), Dadu (19) and other districts. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, conceded that new cases registered at Karachi on June 11 were beyond imagination. The experts, he pointed out, have warned that if the standard operating procedures were not followed, then Sindh may have over 300,000 cases of COVID-19 infection by June 30. He cautioned people to understand gravity of the situation.

According to an official report, as at 11 am on June 11, Karachi’s Civil Hospital, SMBB Trauma Centre, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, National Institute of Child Health, OMI Hospital, Indus Hospital, Ziauddin Hospital (North Nazimabad) and Aga Khan University Hospital had no ICU bed vacant for new patients. 

The laboratories tested 10,081 samples during the last 24 hours, taking the figure of total COVID-19 tests conducted in the province to 265,698. As many as 1,040 patients recovered from the diseases on June 11, said the health department’s summary. 

In the meantime, Sindh Chief Secretary, Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah, chairing a meeting of Coronavirus Emergency Fund (CEF), constituted a committee comprising provincial health secretary, vice-chancellor of Jinnah Sindh Medical University, CEO of Indus Hospital and additional Secretary of CM Secretariat for devising a mechanism under public-private partnership mode to deliver oxygen cylinders to the COVID-19 patients who were in home isolation.

He noted that a large number of coronavirus patients were currently in home isolation and now it’s very important to provide oxygen to them at their homes. “A timely supply of oxygen cylinders in homes can save many lives,” the Chief Secretary stressed.