Two Congo virus patients shifted to Karachi

Virus has claimed life of a young doctor and infected 16 others

QUETTA:

The Balochistan government has shifted two more Congo virus patients to Karachi for medical treatment on the directives of Caretaker Chief Minister Ali Mardan Domki on Wednesday.

The CM stated that the treatment of 13 patients including 11 doctors was underway in a private hospital in Karachi.

“They are all receiving treatment at government expense,” Domki said.

He said a health emergency was in force across the province after the outbreak of the Congo virus. The virus has claimed the life of a young doctor and infected 16 others at a public hospital.

Read Karachi sets up Congo unit to deal with virus

The provincial government shifted all critical patients to Karachi for quality treatment, the CM mentioned, adding that effective measures were adopted by the health department to prevent further spread of the virus.

“An emergency has been declared in all government-run hospitals of the province to cope with the situation,” the CM said.

Domki mentioned that the health department is conducting preventive spraying in all of the province’s cattle markets.

Commissioners and officers of the livestock department were directed to ensure the implementation of precautionary measures within their respective districts, he instructed.

Also read Quetta doctor dies of Congo fever in Karachi

He urged the public to rigorously adhere to the precautionary measures set forth by the health department for their own safety. He expressed confidence that Balochistan would soon eliminate the Congo virus, as every necessary step is being taken in this regard, he said.

To prevent the virus from spreading, a ban on the slaughter of animals at locations other than official slaughterhouses has been imposed, and Section 144 has been enforced. This action is aimed at reducing the risk of transmission of the virus from animals to humans.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2023.