Five Haripur natives shifted to isolation wards

They had recently returned from China and had not been screened at IIA

HARIPUR/ PESHAWAR:  

As many as five people, who had been studying in China and had recently returned to their native villages in the Haripur area, were shifted to isolation wards on Friday.

Separately, President Dr Arif Alvi in Peshawar on Friday called for calm and for spreading awareness on preventive measures against the novel coronavirus ((COVID-19)) even as the provincial government announced that it had enhanced screenings at the border and airports in the province.

The family of the students told The Express Tribune that the students had returned to the country earlier in the month. Upon their arrival at the Islamabad International Airport (IIA), they were not screened.

Ghazi Assistant Commis­sioner Adnan Ibrahim later told the media that when they learnt about the arrival of the students from China and that they had not been screened, he directed medical teams and police to immediately take the students into custody and shift them to the isolation wards in Peshawar.

When contacted, Haripur District Health Officer Dr Saifullah rejected assertions that any case of the novel coronavirus had surfaced in the Ghazi area of Haripur district. He, however, clarified, that they had sent samples from suspected patients to health officials in Peshawar. However, until they receive confirmation about cases, they could not speak about it.

Calm urged

Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday said that while cases of the novel coronavirus have been detected in the country, he said that there was no need for panic. Instead, he underlined the need for collective efforts in creating awareness about the disease and taking precautionary measures to contain the outbreak.

Addressing the 36th International Gastroentero­logy Conference — organised by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chapter of the Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology —in Peshawar on Friday, the president said that each segment of society, including doctors, the media and prayer leaders can use their respective platforms for creating awareness about the virus and educating the public about precautionary measures.

Dr Alvi stressed that there is no need to panic and that things were very much under control. Recalling the threat from heatstroke in the port city of Karachi a few years ago which claimed hundreds of lives in the very year, he said that the situation was gradually controlled after people started taking precautionary measures.

He added that Islamic teachings laid great emphasis on cleanliness.  He added that social etiquettes such as covering the mouth with hands or a protective mask while coughing or sneezing were already imbibed in our culture, adding that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was a role model and torchbearer in this regard, guiding humanity in every aspect of life.

Being a Muslim, we make ablutions five times a day wherein we cleanse the mouth and hands, he said, adding that these are also recommended amongst the precautionary measures for the virus with the addition of frequent washing of hands with soap.

He said one should not shy away from wearing protective face masks and that using such protection was a noble deed to protect other individuals from being infected with the coronavirus.

Similarly, he urged people to avoid social gatherings if they are displaying symptoms such as cough, influenza or shortness of breath.

The president demonstrated practically how to wash hands with soap and the use of protective masks.

Dr Alvi further pointed to the strict precautionary measures adopted by several countries such as Iran which had banned Friday congregations while Saudi Arabia has suspended Umra.

Apart from the coronavirus, he said that there are a host of diseases plaguing the population. In this regard, Dr Alvi said that hepatitis has emerged as a major challenge with about eight to nine per cent of the population suffering from the diseases — mostly caused by contaminated foods.

He further said that malnutrition and stunting are also big issues confronting society.

Strong measures

K-P Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra on Friday said that the provincial government is taking effective steps to protect residents from the coronavirus.

"Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has instructed us to create a cross-government team [on curbing the virus]," Jhagra said in a series of messages on the microblogging site Twitter on Friday.

Jhagra added that the provincial health department is focusing on screening at the entry points to the province.

"The health department has deputed skilled medical teams comprising 31 personnel at the airport in Peshawar," minister said, adding that another specialised medical team has been deputed to screen people crossing over into Pakistan from Afghanistan at the Torkham border.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 29^th, 2020.