HYDERABAD: Confirmed coronavirus patients will be kept in field isolation facilities set up by the civil administration in Hyderabad Club, Sindh Sports Board (SSB) hostel, club’s badminton court and others.

This was stated by Sindh chief minister’s (CM) focal personal on Covid-19 for Hyderabad Sharjeel Inam Memon on Tuesday while presiding over a meeting at Shahbaz Hall after visiting a few field isolation centres on the CM’s directive.

He, along with Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Fuad Soomro and other officials, visited the facilities which would become operational in the next couple of days. These centres will be in addition to those working in different government hospitals.

The DC informed him that those 260-bedded facilities had been equipped with the required facilities and would become functional after approval of the health department.

The focal person said doctors and paramedics of below 50 years of age would be posted there after provision of personal protective equipment (PPE).

He said that since the situation was under control and patients of other ailments were facing difficulties because of the isolation centres functional in the hospitals, therefore Covid-19 positive patients in future would be kept in the field isolation centres. Routine medical facilities in government hospitals had been restored, he added.

He said that keeping Covid-19 patients under one roof would lessen pressure on resources and equipment.

Mr Memon feared that spike in Covid-19 cases could not be ruled out if people gathered in mosques for Taraweeh and other prayers’ congregations. Arrangements in that regard should be made in advance, he said.

He said stakeholders should give their full input as no laxity would be tolerated. He provided 600 protective suits and 500 goggles to the district administration on behalf of the Inam Foundation for the medical professionals dealing with infected patients.

According to the DC, these field isolation centres are set up in the said buildings as precautionary measures in case of a spike in the cases. “Such facilities can be extended up to Niaz Stadium if need be,” he said, adding that tents had been provided by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

He said that currently the load of patients had lessened from the city as most patients recovered and Tableeghi Jamaat members had left for their native districts after recovery or having been tested negative.

He claimed that situation remained under control in Hyderabad and “we are trying to trace contacts of the patients tested positive to prevent local transmission. Cumulatively, he informed, those facilities could cater to 250-bedded field isolation centres in Hyderabad besides already functioning services.

Currently, isolation facilities are working in Kohsar Latifabad, Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) City branch and Isra hospitals in addition to some home isolation facilities. Isra is a private hospital while the rest are public ones.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2020