A source in the department said that core group comprising three members,, namely Dr Asim Hussain of Ziauddin Hospital, Dr Salman Faridi of Liaquat National Hospital and Dr Abdul Bari Khan of the Indus Hospital, has been formed in the light of decisions taken at a meeting of the private hospitals core committee, held with Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, the provincial minister for health, recently.

The meeting, held on April 9, had discussed formulation of a strategy for increasing capacity of the private hospitals across the province and training of human resources belonging to private hospitals for COVID-19. The meeting also deliberated on development and delivery of advisory on COVID-19, the source added.

Earlier, the private hospitals’ association had said that it was decided in the meeting by the Sindh government to establish a control and command centre through which the private hospitals will provide consultants in special fields.

Constituted as a follow up of the decisions of meeting in question, now the core group will identify human resource required for COVID-19; formulate a group of consultants from major private hospitals consisting of pulmonologist, infection disease consultant, intensivist and pathologist.

According to a notification of the health department, the core group will formulate the procedure of consultant group to remain on call with secondary and tertiary care government hospitals across Sindh.

The terms of reference notified by the department also envisage that the core group will also formulate the way of giving advice on video calling to those government hospitals who will find problems in the management of serious COVID-19 patients. The group will formulate the ways to assist the Sindh Health department in the management of COVID-19 pandemic, it was further said.

In the meantime, according to another notification of the government, Dr Syed Junaid A Shah, President of the Private Hospitals and Clinics Association, has been included as a member of the Private Hospitals Core Committee, which already has seven members, with the Health minister as Chairperson.