KARACHI:  Murtaza Wahab, CM Sindh’s spokesman, has stated here on Tuesday (5th of May, 2020) that government had the capacity to conduct more tests for  coronavirus but people were reluctant to get tested.

“We have a testing capacity of 4,800 tests but people are afraid to get tested due to social stigma. The government cannot force them into it and that is why we are only conducting 2,500-3,000 tests everyday. We have sufficient space available for patients in public hospitals, but naturally, people prefer to get treated from private hospitals …

“There are some private hospitals in Karachi that have not established an isolation facility, so if you go there, those facilities will not be able to entertain you…Isolation facilities are available in Civil Hospital, SIUT, Lyari General Hospital, Dow University Ojha campus, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Indus Hospital, Aga Khan Hospital, Ziauddin Hospital, and the Expo Centre field hospital.

“If people are experiencing symptoms they should reach out to the Sindh Health Department and not to laboratories or hospitals. Our team will come to your residence and take your tests and share the result with you. We have seen that the people violated SOPs where the government had softened the restrictions, including at NADRA offices, Ehsaas Centers, and banks.

“If the government moves towards softening the lockdown, it should also spread awareness among people on how crucial maintaining safety precautions is. A national narrative is needed to spread awareness among the people to inform them that wearing masks is in their best interests.”

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