Coronavirus cases rise to 25 in K-P
K-P govt establishes 20-bed quarantine centre, two ICUs at LRH
PHOTO: Reuters
PESHAWAR:
The provincial government on Saturday said two new coronavirus patients have tested positive after which the toll of the disease climbed to 25 in the province.
Adviser to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister on Information and Public Relations Ajmal Wazir in video message said that so far 130 suspected have been reported in the province, out of which 59 have tested negative.
Wazir said that Gilgit-Baltisitan’s (GB) pilgrims who had arrived from Iran were handed over to the G-B authorities. At least 15 out of the 19 suspected coronavirus patients who had arrived in DI Khan from Taftan had tested positive. These 15 confirmed cases are included in the total 25 cases, he explained.
The adviser said all measures are being taken control coronavirus. The government has also suspended meetings with jail inmates temporarily.
PCR testing facility opens
The K-P Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani on Saturday inaugurated a newly set up Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing facility for the coronavirus tests at the Shaheena Jamil Trust Hospital of the Frontier Medical College in Abbottabad.
This is the first facility of its kind in Hazara Division, which was set up by founder of the Shaheena Jamil Trust Hospital, Dr Shaheena Jamil.
The PCR testing equipment has been approved by the National Institute of Health, Islamabad. In addition, a quarantine center is also being set up which will provide healthcare to over 50 coronavirus patients. In accordance with the principles of the World Health Organisation, the NIH and CDC, an isolated virology laboratory has been set up which also includes the latest CEPHIED smart cycler-2. A cabinet and a freezer of minus 25 degrees centigrade have also been provided to the laboratory. At least 16 tests for the coronavirus could be done on the machine simultaneously.
K-P Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani urged public to take all precautions and follow government orders and not to panic.
Ghani said it was a blessing that such an advanced laboratory has been established in Hazara division which will help in the fight against coronavirus.
Meanwhile, K-P Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra in a statement thanked the Jamat-e-Islami Parliamentary leader Inyatullah for linking the provincial government to its welfare foundation, which offered all its hospitals and services to the K-P government. The nation together would fight the epidemic, he added.
The health minister said the hospitals of JI’s welfare organisation and the government’s health and rescue teams will work together to develop a collaboration model which will be finalised today (Sunday) and the K-P Chief Minister Mahmood Khan would formally launch it tomorrow (Monday).
Quarantine with 20-bed at LRH
The K-P Health Department has established a 20-bed coronavirus quarantine and two general ICUs at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) in the provincial capital. A spokesperson of LRH said that 16 ventilators were also available with every bed in the ICU. Only serious patients will be treated in the emergency. He appealed the attendees of the patients to cooperate with the hospital staff.
Buner DC inspects quarantine centre
The Buner Deputy Commissioner (DC) Buner, Muhammad Khalid Saturday visited Daggar Hospital and inspected facilities in the Isolation Center being established for coronavirus patients. He also inquired about the existing faculties in the hospital and the preparedness of the staff to deal with any emergency related to coronavirus. The DC also visited Nawagai Government Degree College and took stock of the measures taken to establish an Isolation Ward. He also urged general public to take all the needed precautionary measures against the corona outbreak and said that adopting precautionary measures is the best way to prevent spread of the disease.
(With additional input from APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, March 22nd, 2020.
The provincial government on Saturday said two new coronavirus patients have tested positive after which the toll of the disease climbed to 25 in the province.
Adviser to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister on Information and Public Relations Ajmal Wazir in video message said that so far 130 suspected have been reported in the province, out of which 59 have tested negative.
Wazir said that Gilgit-Baltisitan’s (GB) pilgrims who had arrived from Iran were handed over to the G-B authorities. At least 15 out of the 19 suspected coronavirus patients who had arrived in DI Khan from Taftan had tested positive. These 15 confirmed cases are included in the total 25 cases, he explained.
The adviser said all measures are being taken control coronavirus. The government has also suspended meetings with jail inmates temporarily.
PCR testing facility opens
The K-P Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani on Saturday inaugurated a newly set up Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing facility for the coronavirus tests at the Shaheena Jamil Trust Hospital of the Frontier Medical College in Abbottabad.
This is the first facility of its kind in Hazara Division, which was set up by founder of the Shaheena Jamil Trust Hospital, Dr Shaheena Jamil.
The PCR testing equipment has been approved by the National Institute of Health, Islamabad. In addition, a quarantine center is also being set up which will provide healthcare to over 50 coronavirus patients. In accordance with the principles of the World Health Organisation, the NIH and CDC, an isolated virology laboratory has been set up which also includes the latest CEPHIED smart cycler-2. A cabinet and a freezer of minus 25 degrees centigrade have also been provided to the laboratory. At least 16 tests for the coronavirus could be done on the machine simultaneously.
K-P Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani urged public to take all precautions and follow government orders and not to panic.
Ghani said it was a blessing that such an advanced laboratory has been established in Hazara division which will help in the fight against coronavirus.
Meanwhile, K-P Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra in a statement thanked the Jamat-e-Islami Parliamentary leader Inyatullah for linking the provincial government to its welfare foundation, which offered all its hospitals and services to the K-P government. The nation together would fight the epidemic, he added.
The health minister said the hospitals of JI’s welfare organisation and the government’s health and rescue teams will work together to develop a collaboration model which will be finalised today (Sunday) and the K-P Chief Minister Mahmood Khan would formally launch it tomorrow (Monday).
Quarantine with 20-bed at LRH
The K-P Health Department has established a 20-bed coronavirus quarantine and two general ICUs at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) in the provincial capital. A spokesperson of LRH said that 16 ventilators were also available with every bed in the ICU. Only serious patients will be treated in the emergency. He appealed the attendees of the patients to cooperate with the hospital staff.
Buner DC inspects quarantine centre
The Buner Deputy Commissioner (DC) Buner, Muhammad Khalid Saturday visited Daggar Hospital and inspected facilities in the Isolation Center being established for coronavirus patients. He also inquired about the existing faculties in the hospital and the preparedness of the staff to deal with any emergency related to coronavirus. The DC also visited Nawagai Government Degree College and took stock of the measures taken to establish an Isolation Ward. He also urged general public to take all the needed precautionary measures against the corona outbreak and said that adopting precautionary measures is the best way to prevent spread of the disease.
(With additional input from APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, March 22nd, 2020.