HYDERABAD: Administrative chaos is prevalent in Hyderabad, Sindh’s second largest city, nowadays. It is a city which fortunately reported only four coronavirus-positive cases among its natives out of 130, in all, till March 30. Rest of the cases came from the districts other than Hyderabad or provinces other than Sindh.

But the way the authorities — civil administration and health — have so far dealt with the outbreak leaves much to be desired. Sindh reported its first case on Feb 6. The administration is headed by an officer who appears to lack potential to deal with a situation like this. She cannot be blamed entirely as she perhaps had no experience of working in such challenging situation that has potential to attain catastrophic proportions with a minor mistake.

As the administration was not wary of the presence of Tableeghi Jamaat members here, 93 positive cases were reported in one single block sampling that took Hyderabad’s total tally to 130. The sampling of 200-plus had followed detection of virus in a 19-year-old Chinese man staying here.

It is not Tableeghi Jamaat episode alone that reflects poorly on the administration alone. Administrative response to the present situation has been ill-planned or hasty. There appears to be no coordination at different tiers. “While an order is still at implementation stage, the second order comes,” is just one of many claims by civil administration officials. As cases started recording a steep rise from March 25 onwards, the administration pushed the panic button, trying to find buildings for quarantine, leading to grave concern among population living in the vicinity of such buildings.

Rajputana and Memon charitable hospitals are just two examples. All 70 rooms in Rajputana, where consultants attend patients from Sindh, have been taken control of, prompting doctors to close their clinics. “I have discharged my patients, stopped surgeries and consultancy. We all are frightened to sit there now after it is declared a quarantine. Can we still keep patients there?” quipped Prof Shafiq Memon, former head of the urology department of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS).

According to Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) secretary general Dr Qaiser Sajjad, while isolation ward could be set up in a bigger space to house corona-positive cases under one roof, separate rooms were indeed required for quarantine. “This can affect normal healthcare services certainly. Other patients will get harassed if suspected or confirmed coronavirus patients are kept on the same premises,” he said. The PMA is partnering with the Sindh government for establishing a 10,000-bedded field hospital in the Expo Centre Karachi. “Such spaces can be found in Hyderabad if situation attains such proportions,” he said.

A 100-bedded Kohsar Hospital Latifabad, which is working as quarantine facility in addition to Labour Colony flats, has been declared as isolation ward. Confirmed patients’ population there is 75 till April 1 and these patients could be seen sitting on stairs at the inner entrance of the hospital and talking over cell phones in the balcony. “It is just scary for us. What if anyone of them slips away for any reason?”, said one resident.

The civil administration did not opt for spaces like Hyderabad Club which has a large hall and rooms. Then there are rooms in Sindh Sports Board’s hostel, a gymnasium within Hyderabad Club and a badminton hall opposite the stadium. Such spaces could have been considered either for quarantine and isolation ward. None of them is brought under such use yet.

Sharjeel Inam Memon, an MPA from Hyderabad rural, is government’s focal person for coronavirus. His explanation is that isolation ward requires all healthcare needs for patients like ventilators. Kohsar Hospital neither has ICU nor ventilators. “If any patient needs vent or ICU, we will have to shift him to Liaquat University Hospital as we don’t have it,” said Kohsar Hospital medical superintendent Dr Suresh.

Besides Rajputana, Memon charitable and Kohsar facilities, the administration has marked three hotels as a backup for using them as and when needed. This is what worries writer and political observer, Amar Sindhu. “We see no coordination or strategy at the administrative level. Labour Colony flats should be made fully operational as these are ideal to serve as isolation or quarantine option. Impression is that we aren’t prepared. Given its population and flow of people and patients from other districts, Hyderabad merits special attention. The idea of a provincial task force should be replicated here,” she said.

Ms Sindhu rightly pointed out that administrative response is wayward. In the last couple of days, quarantined suspected patients were shifted first from Kohsar to other premises and then brought back there again. Earlier, 36 people cleared in Sukkur’s quarantine were again taken to Kohsar Hospital for re-examination, without informing them. It caused an outcry.

It is a guessing game for media personnel to know correct number of patients. Journalists somehow lay their hands on laboratory reports, otherwise there is no one to share actual figures. It looks as if decision-making is centralized here. When the ruling PPP’s Sindh Assembly members — Jam Khan Shoro and Abdul Jabbar Khan — are cold-shouldered or simply have no say in decision-making process in the present situation, what to talk of five parliamentarians — two MNAs and three MPAs — of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) which is an opposition party in Sindh and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) ally at centre. “Actually matters are being managed single-handedly,” an important PPP leader from Qasimabad commented. When was asked why, his reply was: “I don’t know”.

Luckily no unpleasant incident has occurred. Nobody is, however, sure it won’t in future if situation worsens given pace of detection coupled with weak administrative strategy. More results of tests are in pipeline and one could still hope against hope.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2020