KARACHI: Reporting a surge of COVID-19 infections among its registered patients, the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) on May 14 revealed that presently it was diagnosing at least two such patients daily.

The SIUT treating over 16,000 dialysis, transplant and cancer patients whose immunity is compromised because of the disease or treatment, a communication from the institute stated, adding that such patients contact infections including COVID-19 readily and frequently and have to be protected vigorously.

“Due to the spread of COVID-19 in the community last week, 55 more patients of dialysis, transplant and cancer have been admitted in the SIUT overwhelming our capacity for coronavirus treatment.”

The SIUT further disclosed that there were over 6,000 registered dialysis patients who have to come twice or thrice a week for free dialysis, out of which 41 patients were under treatment for COVID-19. “At least two patients are being diagnosed with coronavirus daily.”

Similarly, the SIUT has 5,000 renal transplant recipients on regular lifetime follow-up, who are also immunocompromised. “At present 20 to 22 transplant patients infected with COVID-19 are getting vigorous treatment including high regimen immunosuppression”–PNFS