Sindh govt spends over Rs2.7 bln to set up two new hospitals, expand ICU, HDU facilities: CM Sindh.

KARACHI -- Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday directed health department to make at least 500 monitors and 200 ventilators available in Sindh apart from completing 50-beded hospital in Gulistan-i-Jauhar and 200-bedded Infection Disease Control hospital, NIPA latest by June 2020.

'We have arranged Rs 2.7 billion to upgrade the existing facilities and operationalize two new hospitals 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 pandemic.'

He made these remarks while presiding over a COVID-19 response meeting here on Wednesday at CM House.

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 concerned officers of the health department.

Syed Murad Ali Shah was informed that in 10 different hospitals of the city 131-bedded ICUs and 174-bedded HDUs have been established. At present 61 ICU beds and nine HDUs beds were vacant.

It was also decided to expand the capacity of ICUs, HDUs and isolation beds facilities existing in 21 hospitals located in different hospitals of the province, he said. They include Karachi Civil, Trauma Center, Ojha, JPMC, Lyari, Services hospital, Indus, NICH, SIUT, AKU, Ziauddin. LUH Hyderabad, PMC Shaheed Benazirabad, Civil hospital Khairpur, GIMS Gambat, GMMMC Sukkur, CMC Larkana, SASIM Sehwan, DHQ Kotri, Indus hospital Badin, JIMS Jacobabad.

At present all these hospitals have 224 ICU beds where 186 additional beds would be added. These hospitals have 268-beded HDU facilities and they would be given additional 268 beds. Similarly, these hospitals have 392 and they have 1143-beded Isolation facilities in which additional 898 beds to be added.

To a question, the chief minister was told that 30 monitors, six new ventilators have been provided to Civil hospital Karachi. Work on piped oxygen in medical 1 and 2, wards and Surgical 1 and 2 wards have been completed while negative pressure piping of surgical ICU which would have the capacity of...