In isolation: Suspected Congo virus carriers die at HMC

Health Services DG says govt prepared to prevent outbreak

PESHAWAR: Two suspected Congo virus patients died in Hayatabad Medical Complex’s isolation ward. The deceased were Afghan nationals who had come to the city for medical assistance.

HMC medics said Muhammad Hashim was admitted to the facility on Tuesday. His blood samples were taken and he was shifted to an isolation ward where he passed away during the early hours of Wednesday. Similarly, 20-year-old Zahir, a resident of Jalalabad, Afghanistan was brought to HMC on June 5 and passed away on June 8 before he could be diagnosed with the virus.

The two cases push the tally of suspected Congo carriers brought to the hospital from the neighbouring country to four this year. The deaths have put the provincial government on alert as the province and tribal areas are at risk.



The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has taken all preventive measures to counter Congo virus, however, the number of suspected patients arriving from Afghanistan has set alarm bells ringing.

Talking to The Express Tribune, K-P Health Services Director General Dr Pervez Kamal said no case of Congo virus has been reported in the province so far and that “all measures have been taken to ensure the virus does not spread.”

“All necessary steps have been taken. We have collected blood samples of patients as well as their family members and forwarded them to the federal capital for examination.” He said that while results are awaited, even suspected carriers are kept in isolation ward.

Over the past few months, the number of patients at HMC from across the border with symptoms similar to those of the virus has increased.

Earlier, 30-year-old Abdul Saboor, a resident of Kabul, Afghanistan, was shifted to an isolation room on similar grounds. Qudratullah, hailing from Mazar-e-Sharif, was also admitted and his blood samples were obtained. However he left the hospital soon after. Test results of both individuals are still awaited.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2015.