Pakistan stays put on decision not to evacuate its citizens from virus-hit China

Govt receives diagnostic kits for coronavirus today, says PM’s aide Dr Zafar Mirza

KARACHI: The government stays put on its decision not to evacuate any Pakistani national from China – the origin of the novel coronavirus outbreak which is proliferating quickly and deepening fears about a global contagion.

The announcement was made by Dr Zafar Mirza, the prime minister’s aide on National Health Services Saturday – a day after a top lawmaker told parliament the government might reconsider its decision to repatriate hundreds of Pakistani nationals – mostly students – stuck in China, especially those stranded in Wuhan, the epicenter of the viral outbreak.

According to official stats, more than 500 Pakistanis are studying in various universities of Wuhan, which has been put under quarantine, while the total number of Pakistani nationals in China is between 28,000 and 30,000.

“It [the virus] is now being transferred from human to human, which means an infected person can also transfer the virus to others. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a global emergency. And being a responsible nation, Pakistan wants to take steps that ensure the safety of maximum people,” Dr Mirza told a presser in Islamabad.

Submission of health declaration form made mandatory for passengers entering Pakistan

The UN health agency defines an international emergency as an “extraordinary event” that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. The declaration came after the deadly infestation spread to nearly two dozen countries, killing 259 people and infecting more than 10,000 people – all but a few in China.

Pakistan’s opposition parties have criticised the government for “abandoning” its citizens stranded in China as students are posting video appeals on social media for their evacuation.

“If we act irresponsibly and start evacuating them, this epidemic will spread all over,” Dr Mirza said on Thursday. “We believe it’s in the larger interest of the region, world, and Pakistan that we don’t evacuate them now,” he added.

Pakistan on Friday halted flights to and from China with “immediate effect”, delayed opening of its border crossing with China and made it mandatory for all travellers from China to remain under observation for 14 days in its effort to ramp up defences against the contagion.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has also assured that the Pakistani students are being treated “like our own”.  “The Chinese government is doing everything to ensure the safety, health and well-being of the Pakistani students,” he told his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a phone call on Friday.

Treating stranded students 'like our own’, China assures Pakistan

At Saturday’s presser, Dr Mirza said the government has “complete trust” in China’s efforts. "I want to reiterate our trust in their policies to combat the epidemic,” he added. "We care about our children more than anyone else, but we need to realise our responsibilities and take the right step. We don't want to copy others."

Beijing has taken extraordinary steps to contain the infestation, effectively sealing off Wuhan and the surrounding central province of Hubei – an area more than 50 million people call home. Still several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Indonesia and Singapore, are evacuating their citizens.

Four Pakistani students in Wuhan have been tested positive for the novel coronavirus. But Dr Mirza revealed that they have recovered after treatment as the disease was diagnosed at an early stage. He reiterated that the government is striving to ensure the Pakistani citizens in China are well taken care of and have access to all facilities.

Dr Mirza also said that the stranded Pakistani citizens will not be allowed to return until they have been quarantined for 14 days and are found to be free of the virus. A comprehensive plan has been devised to ensure that when flight operations to China resume, travellers are screened properly.

Pakistan doesn’t have the diagnostic facility for the novel coronavirus, but Dr Mirza said two centres have been established – one each at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi and at Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore. “We will also receive the diagnostic kits today (Saturday).”

Dr Mirza added that the government is also launching an awareness campaign to educate the masses on preventive measures. “Prime Minister Imran Khan is most worried about our children in China,” he said. “We brief him minute by minute on the situation.”