Sindh CM directs hospitals to share data of patients with symptoms of pneumonia

Coronavirus task force makes it mandatory for international passengers to declare 14-day travel history

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed all government and private hospitals to share details of patients with symptoms of pneumonia so that their further medical investigations can be done to ensure that they have not contracted novel coronavirus.

So far five people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sindh, one of whom has already recovered and been discharged from the hospital in Karachi.

The chief minister, chairing a meeting of the coronavirus taskforce at the CM House on Monday, told the provincial health department to issue an advisory to all public and private hospitals to share the data of patients who have recently visited them with the symptoms of pneumonia.

Shah was informed that the federal government had accepted his proposal of making it mandatory for all international passengers to declare their travel history of the last 14 days, in order to maintain their record for necessary screening at airports.

Prior to the confirmation of the latest patient, Sindh health secretary informed the meeting that four coronavirus tests conducted on Monday were negative.

The fourth coronavirus patient in Sindh, confirmed as the seventh case in the country on Sunday, had been in close contact with 27 persons. Of them, eight have been tested and declared as negative while 19 were yet to be tested, he added.

Shah was told that out of the three other patients under treatment in Sindh, two were recuperating well while the recovery of third patient was "slow." He directed the health department to ensure the best possible treatment and care to the patient described as critical.

It was disclosed that 29 passengers had travelled to Iran but visited another country before returning home. The CM was also informed that 69 passengers, after going to Iran, visited other countries and returned home around two weeks ago. The FIA has shared their details with the health department. While one is in quarantine, officials have been tasked with tracing the others. Immigration authorities have also shared the data of 3,630 people, who have recently returned from Iran, Italy, South Korea and Iraq.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2020.