On 21st April, the Sindh Rescue and Medical Services (SRMS) in Karachi conducted controlled transfers of 37 confirmed Covid-19 victims from Gadap, Labour Square Isolation center to the largest quarantine facility established at the Expo Centre in Gulshan.

The day before, an international flight had arrived in Karachi carrying 167 passengers, out of which 44 had tested positive for Covid-19. The District Health Office (DHO) team contacted SRMS for urgent support in transferring victims to the facility.

SRMS team was swift to respond and deployed its ambulances as required. Some of the patients were in a state of panic and did not want to be shifted; SRMS team counselled them and was able to secure their agreement. Special approvals for admitting these patients into the quarantine facility were obtained from the Chief Minister Sindh and District Commissioner by DHO team. As per protocol, patients entered and were admitted into the quarantine facility on a one-by-one basis. Throughout the transferring process, SRMS team followed internationally benchmarked infection prevention and control (IPC) mechanisms to ensure the safety of patients, paramedics, equipment and ambulances.

SRMS ambulance network - and its frontline heroes including paramedics, vehicle operators, supervisors and call center agents - is committed to supporting the citizens of Karachi and the Government of Sindh in combatting the novel coronavirus.-PR