Action plan ready for coronavirus, Senate told

Opposition senators demand effective steps to tackle threat

ISLAMABAD:  

Leader of the House in Senate Shibli Faraz on Friday said a national action plan had been prepared for the prevention and management of the novel coronavirus as the opposition senators called for effective measures to prevent its outbreak.

“The government is on an alert mode over the possible spread of COVID-19 from China, Iran and other affected countries to Pakistan,” he said responding to the opposition’s queries during the session of the upper house of parliament.

He added that both patients diagnosed with the disease in country were in a stable condition. “Over 120 samples from suspected patients had been tested since February 1.”

The senator further informed the house that a meeting of the national task force on International Health Regulation (IHR) 2005 was convened on January 20 to review the state of preparedness and identify gaps in the country for different core capacities of the IHR.

He added that a National Core Committee headed by the PM’s special assistant was regularly monitoring the situation and precautionary measures.

“Sporadic suspected cases are being identified at the airports and border crossings and referred to by National Institute of Health teams and provincial Diseases Surveillance and Response Units.”

Field epidemiologists have been deployed at Disease Surveillance Response Units for contact tracing. The mechanism for screening all passengers at airports, border crossings and seaports has been reviewed and strengthened through the provision of additional logistics including equipment, human resource, PPE and training.

The senator said special counters had been established at the arrival terminals of international airports of the country where health declaration forms with travel history to China, Iran or other COVID-19-affected countries had been made mandatory.

The Balochistan government has imposed an emergency in bordering areas with Iran. The border has been closed and school vacation had been extended.

A quarantine facility has been established with the provision of additional staff at Taftan border.

Besides, the senator added, a team of NIH has been deputed for quick assessment at Taftan, Chaman and Torkham borders.

Opposition Leader in the House Raja Zafarul Haq and others including Raza Rabbani, Javed Abbasi, Mushahidullah Khan and Sherry Rehman stressed the need for making serious efforts to prevent an outbreak of the virus.

Senator Rabbani demanded that the government must inform the house about its staff-level agreement with the IMF for the disbursement of around $450 million.

PPP’s Senator Sherry Rehman proposed that every Senate sitting should have a fixed time slot for discussing the issue of Kashmir so that the house could deliver a unanimous message on an international level.

 

(With additional input from APP)