-Balochistan reports 1st case as tally hits 19
By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: The first coronavirus case of Balochistan has been confirmed in a 12-year-old boy, a hospital official confirmed.
The patient has recent travel history of Iran, said Dr Noorullah Musakhail, the medical superintendent at Fatima Jinnah Hospital in Quetta. The child belongs to Sindh’s Dadu district.
This takes the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 19. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Dr Zafar Mirza on Tuesday confirmed the report of fresh nine cases of coronavirus in the country, bringing total to 19. “I can confirm nine new cases of coronavirus in Karachi. All these cases are contacts of an already confirmed case,” Dr Zafar Mirza said in a tweet.
He added “Further contacts are being traced and tested. This makes a total of 16 cases in Pakistan.”
Dr Mirza said that the confirmed cases in Karachi last evening were in stable clinical condition, almost of them were asymptotic. They all had travel history and were picked up during contact tracing of an existing coronavirus patient, he added. He appealed the media to respect the privacy of the patient and the family and avoid sharing personal details of the patients.
He said that there was no need to panic as things were under control. He said “In present situation, we need to focus on prevention and showing of responsibility.”
In case of any suspected coronavirus patient with having disease symptoms, information should be shared immediately with the health officials, doctors or direct to Health Ministry’s helpline number 1166.
He said that the government had made all necessary arrangements to have check on suspected coronavirus patients and its further spread. He said that those citizens with having travel history of Iran and China and having coronavirus disease symptoms should contact to the medical experts.
Dr Zafar Mirza said effective screening mechanism had
been adopted at all Points of Entry (POE) to have check on coronavirus patients.
He said that proper screening mechanism was also developed at all airports besides availability of personal protection equipment kits for health staff and regular surveillance.
He expressed the hope that due to better health strategy there was no chance of outbreak of disease in Pakistan.
He added during last one month, the federal government had taken several steps and adopted standard operating procedure (SOP) about the disease.
He said that due to such steps Pakistan was the last country in the region where coronavirus case was reported very late when cases were reported in all neighboring countries included China, Iran, Afghanistan and India.
He urged the media to play their positive role in providing information to the people regarding Coronavirus.
He said that the federal and provincial governments were on same page and implementing a unified policy to protect Pakistan from the virus.
Dr. Zafar Mirza , the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services,on Tuesday said while advising masses that people should avoid public gatherings to stay protected from the contagious virus, but academic activities should not be stopped.
Talking to a private news channel he said students should be taught about the hygiene and cleanliness, children have strong immune system so they have a less potential to be a victim of corona virus.
Schools and educational institutes should organize awareness campaigns to educate the masses about corona virus, the all corona virus cases emerged in Pakistan were the travelers who brought it in Pakistan from different countries of the world, he added.
He further informed seven more cases identified a day before yesterday and patients had been transferred to isolation wards, the patients were on initial stages, infected persons were coming from Iran, Iraq, Syria and even from London.
“After screening on the international airports the people with positive corona virus were shifted to hospital and are kept under strict observation, these people stayed in contact with the health administration even after complete recovery,”he stated.
Federal government’s initiatives to control the epidemic in the country were proved successful, it had chalked out a plan to deal with any untoward situation in future as well, he said.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Tuesday said that as many as 15 cases of coronavirus had been diagnosed as positive in the province so far and all of them were imported and none of them was indigenous.
“It means we will have to be more cautious in checking the passengers coming from Iran, Afghanistan, Italy and such other countries at the airport and the suspect(s), if any, must be quarantined there instead of bringing to the city.”
This he said while presiding over 13th meeting of Taskforce on Coronavirus at CM House, according to a statement.
The meeting was attended by Minister Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Minister Local Government Nasir Shah, Advisor Law Murtaza Wahab, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IGP Sindh, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Secretary Home Usman Chachar, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi, DG PDMA Salman Shah, representatives of Corps 5, Rangers, FIA, Airport services, Civil Aviation, WHO, Aga Khan Hospital and Indus Hospital.
The chief minister was told that 19 samples were tested, of them nine were diagnosed as positive while 10 declared as negative. Thus, the number of cases in Sindh have come to 15, including 14 in Karachi and one in Hyderabad. Two more samples have been sent for lab test and their results were being awaited.
The meeting was told that all the 14 patients under treatment were stable and were recovering. The health department has conducted 162 lab tests, of them 147 declared as negative while 15 diagnosed as positive. Two results are pending.
The meeting was told that first patient had recovered and returned home while the other one, who was a high risk case/patient of 67 years old, has also recovered and diagnosed as negative on Tuesday and again he would be tested on Wednesday.
It was pointed out that 167 pilgrims were in quarantine at their homes. 25 of the quarantined pilgrims would complete their isolation on March 11, 34 on March 12, 66 on March 13 and likewise.
The chief minister said that everyday around 4000 passengers land at Karachi airport, therefore arrangements for their screening must be made foolproof.
He directed the chief secretary to talk to the federal government and request them to make quarantine arrangements at the airport for suspects of coronavirus.
“I want none of the passenger with pneumonia or coronavirus symptoms be brought out of the airport and expose him/her to others,” he said.
The chief secretary told the chief minister that health department has posted 32 professionals at the airport. He said he was doubling the health dept staff at the airport so that every incoming passenger could be checked properly.
On the instructions of the chief minister, the private hospitals shared the data of 691 patients and none of them was diagnosed as positive. This kind of data from private hospital would be pouring in health department every day.
The meeting decided that health education and screening desk would be established at Immigration Counters at Karachi airport. The health department professionals, doctors/paramedical staff would be given special training by WHO.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah taking another important decision announced to hold PSL matches in the city from March 12.
He said that PSL matches were already scheduled in the city. He directed Chief Secretary and IG Police to make necessary arrangements for organizing PSL matches as per their schedule. But “I want you to issue an advisory for the spectators,” he said.
The chief minister directed Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah and Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani to hold a meeting with PCB authorities and discuss all the precautionary measures.
He urged them to install hand wash sanitizer boxes at the stadium and issue advise for the persons not to visit stadium who have travel history of Iran.
The commissioner and PCB authorities would work out a detailed precautionary plan in the light of the advisory the health department has already issued.
