KARACHI: Health condition of both the coronavirus patients in Pakistan is improving, while their families are safe from getting infected.
Special Assistant on National Health Services, Dr Zafar Mirza has confirmed that both patients of coronavirus in the country were stable and improving.
In a tweet, he said contacts of patients had been traced and tested and found negative, Alhamdulillah.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said also confirmed that the father, mother and sister of the coronavirus patient, Yahya Jafferi, had been screened and fortunately no symptoms of the virus had been found in them. “Even then we have shifted them to hospital for quarantine and other necessary investigations,” he said.
Murad Shah said that some 8,000 people of Pakistan had visited Iran from February 2, 2020, of them 1500 belonged to Sindh. Out of 1500, around 500 people to Karachi and rest of others to different districts of the province.
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He disclosed that union council wise data of 1500 persons was being collected so that they could be kept in isolation in their respective houses. In case of emergence of coronavirus symptoms in any of them, they could be shifted to hospital, he said.
“I have constituted a taskforce under me [CM] which will be meeting at 7pm every day to review the situation and the arrangements for screening all those people who have travelled to Iran and returned and even their family members with whom they have closely interacted,” he said.
He said that the Coronavirus patient had visited Iran along with a group of 28 people. “We have established contacts with each and every one of the group and have got their names and phone numbers,” he said and added those 28 people were under surveillance. “I am glad that they are voluntarily cooperating with the health department,” he said and added “this support and cooperation are need of the hour.”
The CM said that coronavirus had become a global emergency and all the nations, including Pakistan would have to battle it with best strategy and bravery.
To a question, the chief minister said that a hospital in Karachi had been dedicated for the treatment of coronavirus patients or tests of the suspects.
Shah urged the media not to disclose names of the coronavirus patient and suspects. “In these cases, confidentiality is most important but we [media and social media] have disclosed the names of family member of the patient,” he resented.
Helpline: The chief minister told media that a 24/7 Control Room-cum-Help Line had been established at the Commissioner Karachi Office. The phone numbers of the helpline are 021-99203443, 021-9920440 and 0316-0111712.
Isolation wards: Isolation wards have been established in four hospitals of Karachi and in other divisional headquarters hospitals.
For quarantine purpose, in case of emergency, a 50-beded hospital in Karachi has been specified. Apart from that, there are number of HFs in District Jamshoro and peri-urban areas of Karachi, which can also be used for quarantine in case of emergency.
