The operation theatre and dressing room of the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department of the Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Larkana, have been locked by paramedics after a lady doctor and four paramedics were tested COVID-19 positive on Friday. Dr Habib Soomro, Additional Medical Superintendent, CMCH, said that anti-bacterial spray has been carried out in the entire ward yesterday and today and hopefully ENT ward will reopen on Saturday or Monday. On the other hand, Prof. Gulzar Ahmed Shaikh,, Professor of ENT, SMBBMU, in a letter to CMCH Medical Superintendent, had said that after surfacing of COVID-19 positive cases, department should be temporarily closed, PPEs should be provided to ENT doctors and paramedics as they are directly managing nose and throat which are highly potential areas for COVID-19. He said majority of COVID-19 patients develop initial symptoms related to these areas so PPEs should be provided on priority basis for entire ENT department, Prof. Gulzar added. He further demanded to get the entire department disinfected. Munwar Mangi, leader of paramedics association, CMCH chapter said while talking to this Scribe that PPEs have not yet been provided to the paramedics hence all paramedics are at the risk. He said despite repeated requests no PPE has yet been supplied to them as our members are posted to work at various wards of 1500-bed capacity Hospital. He demanded immediate provision of safety kits so that members of paramedics association could be saved from COVID-19 local transmission which is spreading fast. Meanwhile, according to Control Room, established at the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office, 29 COVID-19 patients were detected on Thursday evening which has brought the number of total cases to 180 and so far two deaths have occurred in Larkana. Out of these, 147 are isolated at their homes, 21 at Tabligi Markaz, seven referred to Karachi and seven have been kept at the CMCH Isolation Ward. So far 1444 people have been tested. This reporting centre is regularly issuing reports very late at 10 pm despite the fact that Sindh Chief Minister and provincial Health Department are announcing the daily reports much earlier. There is a vast difference of cases between the report of DC and Health Department. Health Department yesterday said that 35 new COVID-19 cases have been detected in Larkana whereas DC report confirmed only 29. Health Department said yesterday that total COVID-19 cases in Larkana are 246 whereas DC confirmed only 180.