Karachi has 550 ICU ventilators with about half vacant, health office says

KARACHI: The Sindh health department has on Wednesday noted the city has about 550 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ventilators with about 102 patients being administered their support and 106 patients off-vent but on a standby, ARY News reported.

The city has 232 vacant ICU vents at its disposal, the health department said, underscoring Karachi’s capacity to deal with Covid frenzy as it wreaks havoc into fourth wave.

In the various Karachi hospitals there are 1,374 high dependency unit (HDU) vents and people under treatment in them stand, as of now, at 212, the department said.

There are, however, 570 vacant HDU ventilators available for public at the moment.

Separately, it said the number of low flow oxygen support HDU vents are currently treating 181 patients and 204 of them are available at service.

READ: Karachi sees surge in COVID-19 positivity rate

It is relevant to recall that today, after a dip a day before in the COVID-19 surge in Karachi, the positivity ratio has once again jumped to 23.6 per cent in the metropolis, despite tighter restrictions.

The Covid positivity had surged to 23.6 per cent during the last 24 hours, the provincial health department said today, noting a three pc surge in this rate.

On Tuesday, Sindh health department had claimed a dip in coronavirus cases in Karachi. The positivity rate was recorded at 20.1 pc.