According to Executive Director at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Major General Dr. Aamer Ikram, Pakistan was the first country in South Asia that acquired Coronavirus testing kits from China following the confirmation of the first case.
Earlier this month, the first consignment of 12,000 Coronavirus testing kits from China reached Jinnah International Airport, Karachi. A single kit can test 1000 samples, meaning that around 12 million people could be tested from the procured equipment.
NIH also distributed a significant number of these kits to designated Coronavirus testing facilities at Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta, Gilgil Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad.
Pakistan reported its first case of Coronavirus on 26 February and so far 448 cases have been confirmed. Most of the confirmed cases had recently returned from abroad. It was due to these kits from China that health ministry was able to test people on arrival.
NIH has always played a central role during infectious outbreaks and epidemic situations in Pakistan, said Major General Ikram.
Regarding NIH’s strategy to contain Coronavirus from spreading, Dr. Ikram said:
We are working with a multi-faceted approach in areas of surveillance, response, diagnostic services, and many others to ensure the optimal health and well-being of people of Pakistan. We are capable of handling the situation in case the disease spreads.
NIH’s Executive Director has requested citizens not to panic during the pandemic and practice social distancing to avoid contracting the disease.
So far, Pakistan has reported 447 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and 3 deaths. 5 patients have completely recovered from the affliction. They were released from quarantine after their test results came negative twice.
Via: The News
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