Govt directs to allocate separate wards in hospitals for Coronavirus cases

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Special Assistant on National Health Services Zafar Mirza has requested all provinces to allocate seprate wards in hospitals for possible coronavirus cases in Pakistan.   Chairing a meeting of the Emergency Core Committee on Coronavirus on Friday, the special assistant said the committee and the Emergency Operation Cell, established at Ministry of Health, have been monitoring the situation regarding the disease. He also said that steps are being taken on war footings under the directives of the Prime Minister Imran Khan to ensure safety from coronavirus. He said the federation and the provinces are alert to deal with Coronavirus. Zafar Mirza said he has requested all the provinces to allocate separate wards in hospitals for possible Coronavirus cases. He said Health Establishment is ensuring trained practical screening system at airports. A day earlier, Zafar Mirza said that the best diagnosis of coronavirus is only possible in China. Addressing a press conference, he said that it is not better in favour of the stranded Pakistanis in China to bring them back immediately. He said that the government is doing sufficient work on coronavirus. “The World Health Organization (WHO) has directed that there is no need to evacuate citizens from China,” he said. The special assistant said that four Pakistani students have been diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan and they are being treated. “Not a single case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Pakistan. It is our responsibility to care for each Pakistani living in China. The Foreign Office is catering to all needs of Pakistanis there,” he added. Dr Zafar Mirza said that the Chinese government has banned the transfer of any person from Wuhan city. “No one is being allowed to leave Wuhan or China. For this reason, we are not allowing repatriation of any Pakistani. Otherwise the epidemic will spread like a fire. We don’t want Pakistan to be its prey,” he said. He said that there is neither a vaccine nor a proper treatment for this disease. “The epidemic has spread to 15 countries,” he added.