Punjab unprepared for emerging flu variants amid global outbreaks

Amid influenza outbreaks in several parts of the world, questions are being raised about the Punjab healthcare sector's preparedness to deal with emerging aggressive flu variants.

Despite growing concerns among health experts about so-called "super flu" strains and a seasonal surge in influenza cases, official response mechanisms in the province appear limited, fragmented and largely reactive.

Sources in the health sector revealed that the Punjab health authorities lacked clarity about new influenza variants circulating globally, including the H3N2 strain, which has been linked to more severe respiratory symptoms in other countries.

No government-run Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory in Punjab is conducting influenza virus testing, a gap that undermines early detection and containment efforts.

According to officials, diagnostic kits for detecting modern influenza variants, including H3N2, are not available with the provincial health authorities.

Even testing kits for seasonal influenza H1N1, considered the most common strain in Pakistan, are reportedly out of stock.

The situation is complicated by reports that testing for both seasonal and severe flu variants has also been suspended at the National Institute of Health (NIH), the country's premier public health laboratory.

While testing and diagnostic capacity remains weak, vaccination efforts are also facing criticism. The Punjab government has not carried out the procurement of flu vaccines this season.

As a result, free or subsidised vaccination is unavailable in government hospitals, leaving low-income patients particularly vulnerable.

Health experts warn that the absence of a vaccination campaign during peak flu season could lead to preventable complications.

The Punjab Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has issued advisories focusing on seasonal influenza H1N1.

An official alert circulated warns of a possible increase in H1N1 cases and places all districts of Punjab on high alert. The advisory directs both government and private hospitals to ensure immediate isolation of suspected H1N1 patients, mandatory reporting of cases on a Disease Surveillance System and timely dispatch of samples to designated laboratories.

However, health experts argue that limiting official communication to H1N1 ignores the evolving nature of influenza viruses and the possibility of multiple strains circulating simultaneously. "Without testing, we are essentially blind," said a senior clinician of a teaching hospital. "You cannot manage what you cannot diagnose."