UMERKOT: A viral video that showed a patient in the Umerkot District Hospital receiving oxygen through a bicycle pump has sparked widespread public outrage and brought renewed scrutiny on healthcare facilities in the province.

Being widely circulated on social media, the video clip shows a person administering air to a patient via a bicycle pump, purportedly in place of a medical-grade nebuliser or oxygen equipment.

The footage, though yet to be independently verified, has ignited a storm of reactions, with social media users and healthcare advocates decrying the alleged substandard medical facilities available to patients in Sindh’s rural areas.

Amidst the growing public anger, the deputy commissioner’s office has reportedly taken notice of the video and requested a response from the medical superintendent (MS) of the Umerkot District Hospital.

In an initial statement, the MS dismissed the video as “misleading”, saying that the hospital is equipped with a functional oxygen supply system.

According to the MS, the video does not reflect standard practice at the hospital and may have been staged or manipulated to give an incorrect impression.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2024