Steps afoot to contain spread of Congo virus

The Medical Superintendent of Bolan Medical Complex Hospital Quetta, Dr Kamana Gichki, has said that 20 kits of apheresis mega platelets had been provided to the Director of the Regional Blood Centre (RBC), Quetta on the instructions of the Balochistan Health Secretary in view of the implementation of the Congo virus emergency at the Balochistan Health Department.

Talking to journalists on the occasion, he said that apheresis separates the blood extracted from the body of the patient or donor into its various components with the help of kits, containing plasma, platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells.

Read Balochistan declares health emergency

Random donor units are capable of increasing the platelet count to 10,000, while mega units can raise the platelet count to 50,000 to 70,000, he explained. Gichki said platelet kits had been provided to the RBC on an emergency basis to treat patients infected with the Congo virus.

He said that, due to the spread of the Congo virus in the province, instructions had been issued to all doctors, medical staff, patients, and their caregivers at the Bolan Medical Hospital to take precautionary measures and that steps had been taken to deal with any emergency at the hospital.