Here is what Sindh has done so far to tackle the spread of coronavirus
March 19, 2020
ISLAMABAD: The government of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Sindh, often accused of poor performance, seems to have taken the lead in dealing with the crisis created by the spread of the coronavirus, according to a report.
Led by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, the provincial administration is making timely decisions even as other provinces seem to remain indecisive or drag their feet.
Sindh accounts for more than 200 cases of the virus so far and is the hardest-hit province in the country.
Isolation centers, testing kits, awareness drive
The Sindh government has decided to establish four more isolation centres, based on the model of one set up in Sukkur last week, across the province in anticipation of a rise in coronavirus cases.
Simultaneously, the chief minister has directed the concerned officials to immediately make new hospitals in all districts of Sindh functional, so as to deal with the coronavirus outbreak effectively.
The provincial administration has also ordered union councils to purchase anti-septic soaps worth Rs100,000 and distribute them among the citizens. The order has been issued to raise awareness about hygiene.
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Sindh has also announced food rations for deserving people admitted in isolation wards.
It has ordered closure of all markets, eateries and other public places including shrines, swimming pools, gyms. It ordered the closure of educational institutions earlier this month as well.
It has made necessary arrangements for developing a quarantine facility outside the immigration section in 25 cubicles at Karachi airport.
Each passenger entering the province is screened at the Karachi airport. Anyone found with symptoms is checked by a second team and depending on severity of symptoms, is quarantined/tested again.
The Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Karachi has constituted an 18-member Rapid Response Team to prepare against the coronavirus. A task force has been formed too.
The province has also directed all hospitals to share the record of patients showing symptoms of pneumonia.
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In addition, the Sindh chief minister frequently takes to Twitter to give information to the public about the coronavirus. He maintains that the crisis cannot be averted until everyone acts responsibly.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government, under an arrangement with Indus Hospital, has imported 10,000 Covid-19 testing kits.
Globally, 176 countries have been affected, more than 8,900 people have died and more than 218,000 infected by the disease as it spreads rapidly to new territories.
Originally published in The News
