Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhary, has revealed that a large number of unverified coronavirus testing kits have flooded the market which could endanger thousands of lives.
He revealed this in a tweet on Monday.
I want to give a warning to the provincial governments and the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority), that unverified testing kits for the coronavirus are being flooded.
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He feared that such unverified kits with no history may declare even infected people as healthy, risking thousands of lives.
صوبائ حکومتوں اور NDMA کو وارننگ دینا چاہتا ہوں،کرونا وائرس کی غیر تصدیق شدہ ٹیسٹک کٹس کی بھرمار ہو رہی ہے، اگربیمارمریض کو ٹسٹ صحتمند ظاہر کر دے گا تو اس کا مطلب ہے کئ جانوں کو خطرے میں ڈالنا، جب تک DRAP پاکستان کی اپنی کٹس کی تصدیق کرتا ہے آپ امپورٹ کریں لیکن صرف تصدیق شدہ کٹس
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 31, 2020
He urged the authorities to import only certified kits and avoid using unverified kits until the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) okays them.
The warning came just a day after the minister announced to introduce locally manufactured ventilators and testing kits in the next few days.
Talking to media in Islamabad, Fawad said that the testing device developed by Pakistan’s National University of Science and Technology (NUST) is with DRAP for final approval.
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Moreover, the low-cost ventilators prepared by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) in a joint-venture with NED and Pakistan Engineering Board will be sent to the drug authority this week.
Right now, there is an acute shortage of ventilators and testing kits in Pakistan. These developments will boost the country’s efforts in the fight against the deadly virus.
