In Balochistan,quarantine centre lacks basic facilities

Balochistan govt has established a centre on the outskirts of Quetta

QUETTA: Balochistan health staff and people on Tuesday complained about lack of equipment, masks and other facilities at a quarantine centre established by the provincial government at Mian Ghundi, the outskirts of Quetta.

According to health department, 154 staff members including 34 doctors would perform their duties at the centre.

“120 people out of 253 have been shifted to the quarantine centre at the Pak-Iran border where 34 doctors are performing duties,” said a health official on condition of anonymity. He added that 3,669 people have been quarantined at Taftan border.

Another female staff member said, “Despite of two and a half hour travelling distance from the city, the centre lacked a basic facility of drinking water for health official.” She accused the health department of not providing masks to the officials.

A male staff, on condition of anonymity, said it was difficult to risk lives and treat people suspected of coronavirus at a place devoid of cleanliness.

A suspected patient of virus who was a resident of Quetta, was shifted to Mian Ghundi quarantine centre.

“I was accompanied by my family but there is no facility of gas, food and health,” he said, adding that the health officials told him that further tests would be conducted at the laboratory but no such procedure followed.

Following the imminent threats of novel coronavirus in Balochistan, the health department has intensified screening of people who recently returned from Iran, claiming to have completed screening of 79,568 people.

According to health officials, the health teams deployed at Taftan border carried out screening of 47 people, of them five people have been shifted to Sheikh Zayed Hospital’s isolation ward while four children were shifted to Fatima Jinnah Chest hospital following suspicions of coronavirus — also known as COVID-19.

Authorities claimed to have screened 14 Chinese, who were working in Eastbay Expressway, in Gwadar who tested negative.

Besides, provincial government has declared Quetta’s Sheikh Zayed Hospital and Fatima Jinnah Chest Hospital as isolation wards.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2020.