HYDERABAD: The regional director (RD) was among 16 employees of the federal ombudsman’s regional office who tested positive for the coronavirus during a random sampling by health officials here on Thursday.

According to Kohsar Government Hospital Latifabad Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Suresh Kumar, the sampling was done on the request of the RD. He said that of the 26 samples collected on Wednesday, 16 staff members tested positive in the office located in the State Life Building, off Fatima Jinnah Road.

The RD, a former sessions judge, lives in Kohsar Judicial Officers Housing Society.

Dr Suresh said the hospital staff had collected samples randomly in the society and two cases were detected positive. He said the RD had requested him to conduct sampling in his office which was done on Wednesday.

In all, he said, 20 people tested positive in the office and barring 16, the rest were Hesco employees or visitors. The MS said random sampling in the surroundings of the hospital was being done to check local transmission.

Free health services

All the public health facilities in the Hyderabad district have been directed to extend free-of-cost medical facilities to poor people utilising the funds allocated by the Sindh government, APP adds.

District health officer Dr Lala Jaffar issued the directive to the heads of all government hospitals, dispensaries, basic health units, and urban health centres during his visit to those of Latifabad and a government dispensary in Hussainabad on Thursday. He received a briefing about the facilities currently being provided to the general public. The DHO was accompanied by additional district health officer Dr Parvez Shaikh, Dr Wasim Shaikh, Dr Abdul Hameed Mughul and others.

The DHO said the provincial government was supposed to provide free-of-cost medicines and pathological facilities to the needy. Therefore, he said, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff should take practical steps in this regard.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2020