CM visits Expo Centre to review arrangements for field hospital

The number of coronavirus cases in Sindh has risen to 359, including 60 of local transmission.
This was disclosed at the 24th meeting of the Task Force on coronavirus held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the CM House on Saturday.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, advisor law, chief secretary, IG Sindh, provincial secretaries, representatives of Corps 5, Rangers, WHO, FIA, airport, civil aviation and others.
Secretary Health told the chief minister that the number of coronavirus cases in Sindh had reached 359. They include 102 in Karachi and Hyderabad and 105 in Sukkur.
The chief minister said that the trend of transmission of new cases was increasing. He said the first case was reported on February 2, 10 cases on March 9, and 25 on March 19.
"This is a serious trend, and we have to observe self-isolation which is the only way to keep ourselves secure," he said.
The daily report of suspects presented at the meeting said that 1,874 suspects had been identified by government hospitals, out of whom 21 were found to be requiring a test. The private hospitals reported 702 cases, and five of them were selected for tests.
The airport authorities told the chief minister that 17 flights brought 3,428 passengers. They were screened, and eight of them were declared suspects and shifted to the quarantine.
Preparations: The chief minister was told that a 220-bed hospital in Kharadar in Karachi with seven ventilators and 23 ICU/CCU beds had been put on standby. It was pointed out that 2,366 nurses were being hired out of whom 300 would be posted at the Expo Center and 690 in the other 23 districts.
The chief minister directed the health department to recruit 1,500 doctors and 500 technicians within the next three days.
"We are in dire need of doctors, nurses and technicians to operate the newly established hospitals," he said.
Expo Center: The chief minister visited Expo Center on Saturday and reviewed the over all arrangements being made there for isolation centers and field hospital. The chief minister was briefed about the arrangements and requirements.
The chief minister directed the commissioner of Karachi to purchase inclinators for the Expo Centre to destroy solid waste.
"The solid waste may not be transported anywhere in the city, and it must be destroyed here," he said.
Rs 11.623 billion released: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that he has released Rs 11.628 billion as regular and special grants for government efforts to prevent/control the coronavirus in the province. This includes Rs 3 billion contributed by the government employees to the government fund.
Shah said that Rs 3 billion had been released for the coronavirus fund, Rs 300 million to Indus, Rs 100 million to Directorate of Health, Rs 50 million to the health department, Rs 835.9 million to private partners, Rs 6.9 billion for special grant for coronavirus, Rs 50 million to DCS Malir, Rs 76 million to DC Sukkur, Rs 50 million to DC Larkana and Rs 250 million to PDMA.
Up-coming expenditures: Shah said that a 100-bed field hospital was being established at the Expo Center which would be upgraded to 10,000 beds.
The chief minister said that 10 hotels may be hired by commissioner Karachi for quarantine.
Murad Ali Shah disclosed that at present there were 827 ventilators with the health department which were going to be increased to 5,000.