Daily Times

With an alarming number of more than 150 cases being tested positive for coronavirus in Sindh, the Sindh government is doing everything it can to help contain and fight the virus.

Sindh government has requested volunteers to help the authorities to suppress the pandemic that has reached a population of 150 in the province in light of an increasing number of coronaviruses.

On Tuesday, the government called on people from every corner of their lives to join hands to fight against emergencies.

Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, on Tuesday announced a Rs3-billion fund for coronavirus affectees, saying that various officials of the Sindh government and PPP MPAs will donate their salaries to it.

Notably, officers of Sindh government’s Grade 21 will donate half of their salaries to the fund while officers of Grade 17-20 will donate 10 % of their salaries. It was also announced that employees of Grade 1-16 will donate 5% of their salaries to the fund.

CM Sindh called on CM Punjab Usman Buzdar and shared some key insight to contain the spread of deadly virus in the province.

The Chief Minister, while briefing the media about the outbreak of Corona Virus in Pakistan stated that the Sindh Government is actively working to control it. While explaining the official strategy, the CM told that trained healthcare professionals will meet all those people and scrutinize them, if needed. Government of Sindh is seeking help from some private sector hospitals in training teams that will be able to test these people if they complain of any of the symptoms.

The government officials will be holding a daily meeting to monitor the situation and will acquire all equipment and masks required for prevention and treatment. He said, “in case someone tests positive, they will need to be isolated so that they do not come in contact with other people. The government will dedicate one hospital for the cause and the required equipment is being procured.”

The CM said that he has asked Dr. Abdul Bari Khan to get ventilators for the Sindh government. The government will incur all expenses. Other equipment i.e. heavy-duty disinfectants and masks are also being acquired.

The Sindh Government has also established Coronavirus pandemic emergency care & cure center with isolation wards with 2000 beds capacity at newly constructed Labour Colony flats in Sukkur. Meanwhile, it has also started preparations to establish a field hospital at Expo Centre in Karachi.

The chief minister instructed the Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani to start purchasing beds and other medical equipment needed to establish a field hospital at the expo centre after the federal government approved the plan.

Furthermore, K-Electric was directed to ensure uninterrupted power supply during what can be dubbed a partial lockdown in the port city.

Notably, all grocery and medical stores can remain open round the clock. Takeaways and deliveries will be allowed. Vegetable, fruit, fish and chicken markets will also remain open across the province.

In addition to this, the provincial government decided to buy 60,000 bags of ration in first phase for distribution amid coronavirus outbreak.

The bags containing pulses, dry milk, flour, rice etc. will be distributed through the Provincial Disasters Management Authority. After the decision of the provincial government the PDMA has started preparations for the purchase of ration bags.

The government also distributed the pamphlets outlining the precautionary measures to create awareness among the masses.

Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had issued directives for provision of ration to families of the people put in quarantine in Sukkur on their doorstep.

The government also installed health desks at airports to scan the patients. The setup has been approved by WHO officials.

Sindh govt. with all its continuous efforts to save maximum lives from the corona outbreak is being the frontline warrior in these trying times when the entire world is fighting a war against the pandemic.

These initiatives and measures surely are commendable and both, federal and other provincial governments should take notes and follow the pattern set by Sindh government to overcome the corona challenge.