10,000 people trained to deal with coronavirus emergency: Yasmin Rashid
LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Friday said over 10,000 people had formally been trained to cope with possible coronavirus emergency.
“A strategy is being devised to deal with the coronavirus emergency situation in the province,” Dr Yasmin Rashid said while briefing the media about coronavirus suspects in Punjab. She said out of 44 suspected cases 43 had turned negative while report of one patient was being awaited.
She said out of 3,056 zaireen in Punjab, 2,700 had been screened and sent home while rest of them were quarantined at Taftan border.
In case of an emergency, the health minister said they would follow the Chinese strategy of minimizing the movement of the people to contain the virus.
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“By tomorrow, we would be in a position to tackle coronavirus situation. We are getting updates every four hours and formulating the strategy accordingly,” she said.
Yasmin Rashid said those who were healthy and did not contract the disease did not need to wear the mask. Those who had cough and common cold should use a mask so that the droplets were not touched to others, he added.
“Masks must be worn by those who are infected with coronavirus, their attendants as well doctors and other paramedical staff who are treating the patients,” she said.
Three hospitals had been specified for coronavirus in Punjab, she said. Urology Institute of Rawalpindi was equipped with masks, ventilators, medicines, doctors and protective equipments, while Tayyap Erdogan Hospital in Muzzaffargarh had been directed to gear up for this, Dr Yasmin maintained.
“In all our districts, we have high dependency units established. Alhamdulillah! So far the situation is under control and we can prepare ourselves for an emergency,” she said.
