COVID-19 Research Centre opens at ASH

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Monday inaugurated the COVID-19 Infection Disease and Research Centre, having a capacity of treating 120 patients at a time, at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

The 120-bed centre has facilities of an isolation ward, high-dependency units (HDUs), incentive case units (ICUs) and a team of well-reputed doctors, professors and experts.

Free coronavirus testing facility is also being provided at the hospital. Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Syed Saif ur Rehman, Senior Director Medical and Health Services Dr Beerbal Gainani, Medical Superintendent Nadeem Rajput and other officials were also present on the occasion.

Talking to media, Mayor Akhtar said the centre would conduct research on all infection diseases as well as treating the patients. He said the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation did all these works on its own and with the assistance of the National Disaster Management Authority and philanthropists.

He said they would upgrade the centre, and appealed to the philanthropists to cooperate with the KMC so that the desired results could be achieved soon and the people could get treatment of infection diseases, including the coronavirus. The mayor said Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar had assured him of full support from his government for the COVID-19 Infection Diseases and Research Centre.

He once again asked federal and provincial governments and philanthropists to support the KMC for early completion of the centre. He hailed doctors and other health workers who made this centre functional while fighting from the front.

The mayor said the Karachiites were aware of the fact that COVID-19 could be controlled only by adopting precautionary measures and standard operating procedures. Replying to a question, he said the Sindh government did not take him on board while forming a mechanism for cattle markets. He said two months’ salaries of doctors had been approved and would be deposited in their accounts on Tuesday. “We are doing all we can. It is the Sindh government that issues salaries; we just forward them.”

He was of the view that the provincial government should have cooperated with the KMC in the completion of the centre at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, which is the third biggest hospital of Karachi and cater to poor patients. “A modern laboratory has also been established at the hospital, which has a capacity for conducting 65 tests a day. The KMC has leading doctors and experts, and I hope that they would serve patients with courage,” he added.