Midwives, Nurses Demand PPEs
Senior nurses and midwives called for provisions of personal protective equipment and urged the public to show responsibility by remaining indoors to ease the burden on the healthcare system during a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on April 27. The conference was attended by members of the Midwifery Association of Pakistan and Sindh Nursing Boar, as well as nurses from public and private hospitals.
Karachi Hits New Peak
Around 270 new coronavirus cases emerged in Karachi in just 24 hours as slum residents fail to observe social distancing and other precautionary measures. Sindh is rapidly catching up to Punjab in terms of the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 5,291 infections recorded in the province to date.
Health Workers Now Carriers
An increasing number of healthcare professionals are coming into contact with asymptomatic patients and inadvertently spreading the virus to other patients, colleagues, and family members, according to Khyber Pakhtunlhwa’s Provincial Doctor’s Association. While the government is supplying PPEs to medics directly involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, staff members working in OPDs and other departments remain exposed to asymptomatic patients.
40,000 Tests Daily
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) announced Pakistan will soon be capable of conducting 40,000 tests for COVID-19 on a daily basis. The announcement follows the procurement of nearly 18 tonnes of medical equipment from China, including ventilators, masks, PPE, thermal guns, x-ray machines, goggles, face shields, and other equipment.
Illegal To Lay Off Employees In Sindh
The Sindh cabinet has passed a coronavirus ordinance, making it illegal for private companies to fire employees amidst pandemic-induced lockdown. Under the ordinance, employees are to receive due to wages during the lockdown while some concession has been provided to companies by postponing and slashing some utility bills.
