Health staff stays away from Umerkot Isolation Centre

SUKKUR: The callous and lopsided performance of the health staff at the critical Umerkot Isolation Centre and lack of supervision was exposed when most of them deployed at the Coronavirus Isolation Centre to look after the patients were found practically absent from the facility on Thursday, except for a little time when the provincial minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities, Syed Sardar Shah visited the centre.

The cornoavirus is spreading around fast and the Sukkur region where the quarantine and isolation centres have been established is at the heart of the provincial government's effort to control the contagion, but criminal neglect was observed there.

Till around mid-day most of the health department officials posted at the isolation centre established at the population welfare center in Umerkot remained absent, but turned up a few minutes before the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities, Syed Sardar Shah visited the facility. Unaware of the performance of the non professional and callous behaviour of the health department at the point of this national challenge, he went on to criticise the federal government for not managing the Taftan quarantine from where unprotected coronavirus patients were despatched to respective provinces including Sindh. Such a behaviour of the health department staff and lack of supervision by the senior officials of the health ministry and the district management could inflict far serious damage to any control measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

In a related development, Information Minister Sindh Syed Nasir Hussain Shah presided over a meeting about the Sukkur quarantine in a meeting at the Commissioner’s Office, Sukkur.

Information Minister Sindh Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that so far 151 positive cases were reported while further tests are underway, and added there were over 1,000 Zaireen from Iran and Iraq staying at the Sukkur Camp who are being provided with all the necessary facilities along with medical assistance. The meeting was attended by Additional Commissioner Sukkur Akhtar Hussain Qureshi, DC Sukkur Rana Adeel, SSP Sukkur, religious scholars including Irfan Samoo, Allama Razi Jaffer, Allama Syed Shahanshah Hussain Naqvi, Syed Alam Shah Mousvi, Syed Kumil Hyder Shah, Shabber Zaidi, Chaudhry Azhar, representatives of WHO and Scouts.

During the visit to the quarantine, the minister ordered regular fumigation besides increasing the number of volunteers at the Sukkur quarantine and set up a round -the-clock medical camp. He also directed the deputy commissioner, Sukkur, to create a WhatsApp Group for the Zaireen to provide them with regular messages to keep them motivated and informed about the health challenges. Shah said the quarantine is being provided fresh food, milk, WiFi and toys for the children. He said that ration will be provided to the families of those under quarantine in their houses.

Meanwhile, despite the imposition of Section 144 in Sukkur district to discourage gathering of crowds in view of the coronavirus threat, a number of gatherings were witnessed in different parts. A large number of women beneficiaries had gathered at a bank to draw stipends from the Thar-based NGO.

But largely the shopping centres remained closed apart from medical and grocery stores. The public transport mostly remained off the roads. Hotels and restaurants were giving away takeaways. The Nadra office opened but draw fewer people.

SUKKUR: Deputy Commissioner Khairpur Muhammed Naeen Sandho on Thursday distributed ration and other food items among the families of 34 quarantined. The deputy commissioner said that ration would be doubled if the family size of the quarantines was more than six members. DC Khairpur also visited the Civil Hospital Khairpur and Khairpur city, where he directed municipal administration to ensure anti-mosquito spray in the city besides cleanness in city. He on that occasion reiterated upon transporters, traders and Civil Society to cooperate with the Khairpur administration to secure the population from a coronavirus by mitigating the precautionary measures. Meanwhile in Khairpur, hotels, public parks, shrines and other markets remained closed.