DADU: Almost all government hospitals and specially established isolation wards for Covid-19 patients in Dadu district were working without ventilators, sources say.

The sources said that four ventilators had been out of order in hospitals in the district since 2010. Two ventilators had been lying idle at Dadu Civil Hospital, one at Khairpur Nathan Shah taluka hospital and one at Johi taluka hospital after developing different faults, said the sources.

The sources said that 100 beds for Covid-19 patients had been arranged at isolation wards at Hepatitis Centre, civil hospital and taluka hospitals in Khairpur Nathan Shah, Johi and Mehar but there was no ventilator for serious patients.

“Budget of millions of rupees has been utilised in the name of fighting Covid-19 but the much-needed ventilators have not been repaired nor adequate facilities have been provided at isolation wards in the district,” said the sources.

“Every day, fake bills are being cleared at district accounts and treasury offices in the name of facilitating the Covid-19 patients but in reality all the isolation wards and hospitals lack even the most basic facilities,” said the sources.

DHO Dr Zahid Hussain Dawachh said that two ventilators at civil hospital, one at KN Shah and one at Mehar taluka hospitals, had been out of order. There was either no trained staff to run them or they were in bad need of repairs, he said.

Civil Surgeon Dr Abdul Hameed Meerani said that two ventilators had been lying useless after developing faults since 2010 and the machines needed to be repaired now.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2020