CM Murad Ali Shah seeks help from the World Bank to install oxygen equipment and purchase ventilators for Covid patients

The Chief Minister of Sindh Province Syed Murad Ali Shah (Syed Murad Ali Shah) has asked the World Bank (WB) to allow the provincial government to use the US$11 million saved from various World Bank assistance projects for the The province installs oxygen plants and purchases other Covid-related equipment.

He made this request during a meeting with a World Bank delegation led by Pakistan’s country director Najy Benhassine on Friday. CM informed the delegation of the donor agency that the Covid-19 pandemic is a serious problem, so appropriate healthcare services should be prepared accordingly.

“We have established an independent hospital, the Institute of Infectious Diseases in Karachi, and decided to establish similar facilities at all department headquarters,” he said. He discussed with the delegation the necessity of establishing an oxygen plant in Sindh to ensure an uninterrupted supply of oxygen to medical institutions.

“Due to the different waves and variants of the coronavirus, the demand for oxygen has doubled. Therefore, we plan to install an oxygen generator to meet the needs of Covid-19 patients,” Shah said.

He said that the government hospital in Sindh has only 668 ventilators. Due to the Covid emergency, the provincial government plans to purchase at least 500 more ventilators.

He told the World Bank delegation that the provincial government has saved approximately US$11 million from different projects funded by the World Bank. “If these funds are reallocated for

To build an oxygen plant and purchase Covid-related equipment and gadgets, the money will be of great help,” CM said.

Ben Hashim said the World Bank has been providing support during the Covid-19 emergency. He said that the requirements of the Sindh provincial government are legal and the donor agencies will give due consideration.

Sukkur Barrage

The meeting also discussed the Sindh Barrage Improvement Project, a plan to initiate the restoration and modernization of the Sukkur Barrage with the assistance of the World Bank.

Shah said that the project has five components, including the replacement of the six gates of the barrage and related works. In 2019, Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Co., Ltd. awarded Rs 16.7 billion for the project.

When CM briefed the delegation on the progress of the project, it said that so far, 66% of the physical progress and 64% of the financial progress have been achieved. The two gates of the main barrage and lifting system have been installed and commissioned, and at the same time The installation of one door is under construction, and the remaining three doors will be installed in September.

The scope of the project includes maintenance works, embankment and surface protection, monitoring, electromechanical engineering and communication system installation. The second part of the estimated cost of the project is approximately Rs 15.675 billion. CM stated that its prequalification documents were opened in January this year and the work will be awarded in October.

Other components of the project include dredging and excavation and the dredging of the right bank canal. The meeting agreed to release more funds for the project and began to study other parts that were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.