Civil Hospital Karachi is a leading referral hospital for a range of medical problems, including ‘Iron lungs’, ‘Smallpox’ and ‘Cholera’. The hospital’s CCTV footage shows the attackers damaging hospital property and wheeling a patient on a stretcher. Medical bodies have condemned the attack.
‘Iron lungs’
Iron lungs at Civil Hospital Karachi – these were a form of early ventilators. They were, installed in the hospital in 1940. These early ventilators had been introduced in the US in 1928. Now, a global shortage of modern ventilators has prompted researchers to develop new versions of the device.
The iron lung is a device that allows a patient to breathe using the muscles of the throat. The patient must breathe in rhythm with the machine to keep the oxygen-filled tube in place. The machine pulls the diaphragm in and out of the patient’s chest to maintain a constant rate of breathing. The patient cannot turn their body over or change positions during the process.
Patients with symptoms of covid should seek help from a chest specialist. They should also visit a pulmonologist. The pulmonologist will run a number of investigations to determine if covid is the cause of their symptoms. The most common investigation is a chest x-ray, which will help determine the severity of the condition.
The Civil Hospital Karachi offers a variety of health services. It has a team of internationally and nationally certified pulmonologists. These experts treat their patients with great respect. The hospital’s pulmonology department is well-equipped with modern equipment and technology. The staff at the pulmonology department are PMDC-certified and ensure their patients’ privacy.
In 1931, John Haven Emerson introduced an improved version of the iron lung. The Emerson model was less expensive, and featured a bed that could slide in and out of the cylinder. The Emerson version also had portal windows that allowed attendants to see inside the patient. The Harvard and Drinker patent holders sued the Emerson invention, but Emerson said that the invention should be freely available to all.
The iron lung was a revolutionary life-saving invention. It helped save the lives of children with polio. It was an important development in the medical field, and the first one was used in 1928 to save the life of an 8-year-old girl suffering from polio.
The two-wing facility was staffed with 70 beds and performed 100 major operations per year. The average cost per day for hospitalization was three annas and two quarters per patient. The hospital also maintained a system of racial segregation, with a separate ward for Europeans.
Although they are rare, iron lungs at Civil Hospital Karachi are, still used by patients. In Germany, there are less than a dozen iron lung breathing machines. Despite the risks, however, the device is a useful technology for treating people with pulmonary disorders. There are also few other types of respiratory devices that provide such assistance.
‘Smallpox’
A case of smallpox was, reported at Civil Hospital Karachi on May 5, 2012. The victim, a 19-year-old unvaccinated bricklayer, came to the hospital with fever, backache, and vomiting. He was, also found to have maculo-papular rash. Upon examination, the laboratory confirmed the diagnosis of smallpox. The patient’s aunt, who arrived in the hospital a few days later, developed an acute febrile illness and developed a rash. She died a few days later. Other cases of smallpox were, identified during the week of May 14-16.
In the 1840s, the British military were, stationed at Eidgah Maidan and set up a dispensary in the Ranchore Line quarter. The British later moved the dispensary from the cantonments to the city’s civilian population. Today, the civil hospital Karachi is a tertiary care center for people with infectious diseases.
The inadvertent exposure of the mother during the outbreak phase had affected 450 people at the hospital and several boarding houses. Moreover, additional contacts from large groups of people could have been affected. The epidemiologic curve of the outbreak shows the generational relationship and the median incubation period of the disease.
There are several reasons why a case of smallpox can transmit from person to person. The disease is highly contagious and can have many symptoms, including paralysis. Hence, it is important to get, vaccinated. The vaccine is cheap and plentiful. But, the government’s aggressive use of it has caused strife in the community. This has turned a few urban Karachi neighbourhoods into war zones.
While the smallpox vaccine is safe for most people, it can have unpleasant side-effects. These include local discomfort and fever. In rare cases, people may develop a more serious side-effect called encephalitis. In the 1960s, vaccinations for smallpox in England and Wales resulted in eight cases of encephalitis, three of them fatal.
The Civil Hospital Karachi has undergone numerous public health emergencies since it was first established over a century ago. The bubonic plague outbreak in 1894, the influenza epidemic of 1918, and outbreaks of leprosy have all occurred at the hospital. The hospital is now strengthening its systems to survive the next outbreak. Today, the hospital serves over two million people annually. It is also the only public hospital in Karachi that offers X-ray machines and other first-class equipment.
The outbreak was unique in its pattern of spread. The disease is, most commonly transmitted by close contact and has a strong community transmission pattern. In two cases, people who had previously been immunized were infected without having the rash. The outbreak also shows that the disease is spreading despite immunization programs and other preventive measures.
The symptoms of smallpox usually appear seven to seventeen days after exposure. Smallpox vaccination is effective for three to five years but its effectiveness drops after the first dose. Diluted doses of the vaccine are just as effective as full-strength vaccines.
‘Cholera’
After an upsurge in the number of children contracting acute watery diarrhoea in the city, the health secretary has written to officials of the city to urge them to do all in their power to provide better treatment facilities. He has also asked them to work with community members to find solutions and make result-oriented efforts to contain the outbreak.
The outbreak is the result of a contagious bacterial strain, known as ‘Ogawa.’ Cholera is one of the most fatal diseases in the world, claiming 53,300 people annually. The Sindh government has set up special wards to treat people suspected of suffering from the disease.
The WHO national representative has also delivered 100,000 water purifying tablets to Karachi’s health authorities. The organisation is, expected to supply another hundred thousand tablets in the coming days. Each tablet can treat five litres of water. Meanwhile, health officials have asked the city’s health board to strengthen its cholera detection laboratories.
Despite the fact that the disease has been reported in Karachi for several years, it has accelerated in recent months. Since March, the number of cases has increased. Health experts have criticized the state of the city’s health department, the international health agencies such as WHO, and the Sindh government for failing to do enough to protect the public from cholera.
The CDC continues to work with the provincial cholera control cell to provide technical assistance. The organization provides support for case management, water and environmental sampling, and social mobilization. They also support the cholera response by providing laboratory support to civil hospitals. The CDC has also worked with UNICEF to provide field visits and support surveillance and laboratory testing for confirmation of cholera.
The health authorities in Sindh and Balochistan have a multisectoral approach to tackling cholera outbreaks. This includes setting up sentinel surveillance sites, activating rapid response teams, and engaging private health institutions to help identify and treat suspected cases. They are also increasing the testing of patients and developing awareness sessions.
In August alone, about 8,050 children under the age of five were, infected with cholera. There were another ten-hundred and thirty-three cases of children over five. The Civil Hospital has seen a rise in cases of cholera and diarrhoea in recent months.
The hospital is not without controversy. It was, controlled by the Civil Surgeon and assisted by a house surgeon and three sub-assistant surgeons. The hospital’s Aid and Nursing Association Committee also performed general oversight. The hospital had first-class equipment, including X-ray machines. It also provided free care for the poor. The Matron also played a pivotal role in the management of the hospital.
The water supply in Karachi is, contaminated with E-coli, Shigella, and Cholera. Although the water supply has been boiled, it contains coliforms and E-coli. In addition, it is not advisable to consume raw meat or undercooked fruits and vegetables. It is also important to dispose of feces in a sanitary way.
