WHO team shocked at state of public hospitals in Karachi

KARACHI: The dire state of public hospitals in Karachi alarmed the World Health Organization delegation that arrived in the city on Tuesday to help the Sindh authorities curb the incidence of Chikungunya. 

According to sources in the health department, the delegation members have said if the sanitation condition in the city remains the same, the diseases will turn into an epidemic. They analysed the situation after completing their survey of the hospitals in those areas of the city that are most affected by diseases such as chikungunya and dengue.

The delegation members visited various areas, including Ibrahim Hyderi and Malir, and tertiary care hospitals.

There are confirmed 200 confirmed cases of chikungunya in Karachi. There is no laboratory in Sindh to diagnose the disease.

Besides health, they said a laboratory should also be set up in Karachi so that people from across Sindh could get their samples tested within the province rather than having to send them to National Institute of Health in Islamabad.

The situation is alarming, considering that 21,000 suspected patients of chikungunya are being tested or treated at hospitals in the city.

City mayor imposes health emergency

The recommendations of the WHO delegation got the city mayor to his feet, who imposed emergency in hospitals. He has ordered the municipal services to spray the areas to prevent the virus from spreading.

Moreover, he has also ordered special wards be set up to treat the patients of these diseases. Karachi Mayor Waseem Akram has also cancelled holidays of all the doctors and paramedical staff as well.