Daily Times

Panic increased among the people following a statement of Faisal Edhi that the Edhi Foundation has recorded 70% more deaths in Karachi this April as compared to last year.

However, Faisal Edhi, the head of Edhi Foundation made it clear that there is no significant increase in the death of people as compared to normal days, as being reported in the media.

According to a press release, Faisal Edhi rejected a news report regarding a significant increase in the death of the people in metropolis. He maintained while the Edhi Foundation shifted over 400 dead bodies from hospitals and houses in Karachi from March 15 to April 2 as compared to shifting 323 bodies in the same period last year, so there is no such a big difference as per routine.

Faisal condemns that media ran sensationalized news that a large number of corpses were picked up from the houses and hospitals without giving proper comparison to how many corpses were transferred from homes to the hospitals in normal days. The misinterpretation of the statistics also gave a wrong sense that more people have started dying in Karachi due to coronavirus spread.

A journalist told that one of his relative was admitted in SIUT due to cancer disease and he died but suddenly in reports he was diagnosed as a corona patient and even the report was not given to the heirs.

In Karachi, during the last 55 days, only 37 deaths have been reported due to coronavirus, although many of them were already suffering from other disease too.

According to KMC report during last three months 7,150 dead bodies were buried, 2849 were buried in January, 2278 in February, 1978 in March as per sources which is not taken into official record till 14th April only 776 dead bodies were buried in Karachi’s graveyard as compare to this data nearly 100 people die per day.

Indus Hospital’s Dr Abdul Bari Khan said “People who are showing symptoms should be brought to the hospital earlier”, said Dr Bari, adding that it could save lives. Part of the reason, he asserted why people aren’t coming to hospitals is fear.

According to survey people are worried that why after death patients are being declared Corona patient, this is the reason that people are not going for early treatment, and only go to the hospital when they are extremely sick.

People say that others disease patients aren’t being treated properly as people are also too scared to go to hospitals because hospitals are the main place of spreading coronavirus.

Talking about number increasing in death it is being said that in normal circumstances when there was a death in a family, people used to perform the final rites themselves.

But “now everyone is fearful. If someone hears of a death in the neighborhood, they are afraid as if it’s from Covid-19. So that is another reason that more people are calling to Edhi. People consider it there is no logical facts to support this hypothesis that more Covid-19 patients are dying, it is only to create panic among people.”

Abid Naveed, executive director of Aman Health Care Services, told on daily basis 30-40 calls being received complaining of breathing problems and chest issues, compared to 10-15 calls before the lockdown period.

As Chief Minister Sindh has also requested people not to go hospital for minor only just in case of emergency people might visit hospital which also created panic among the masses. Murad Ali shah has already said that at least 15 to 20 people could have died of it, but we couldn’t take them on record because many families buried their dead without informing the authorities.