Health Department to take precautionary measures for corona virus

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh. Salman Rafique has directed Health Department to take precautionary measures for protecting the people of the province from corona virus found in Middle East and Saudi Arabia due to Haj and Umrah season. He said that screening of the passengers suffering from cough and flue coming from Saudi Arabia should be carried-out at airports with the cooperation of Federal Government departments.

He said this while presiding over a meeting of medical experts regarding eradication of corona virus in Punjab at the committee room of Director General Health today.

Parliamentary Secretary Health Kh. Imran Nazir, Director General Health Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Additional Secretary Health (Technical) Dr. Salman Shahid, Expert Epidemic Diseases, Institute of Public Health Prof. Farkhanda Kokab, Administrator Sheikh Zayed Hospital Dr. Akbar Hussain, Prof. Dr. Talha Mahmood of Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Head of Centre of Excellence Microbiology Punjab University Dr. Idrees Khan, Director Health (CDC) Dr. Ahmed Afifi, Programme Coordinator of World Health Organization Dr. Jamshed, EDO Health Dr. Zulfiqar Ali and other concerned officers attended the meeting.

Director General Health Dr. Zahid Pervaiz told the meeting that the sample of a patient from Sialkot under treatment in Sheikh Zayed Hospital was found negative and there is no patient of corona virus. DG Health further said that instructions have been issued to EDOs Health and administration of the hospitals of all districts to take measures for protecting from corona virus. It was told that corona virus is also found in animals in Saudi Arabia and Middle East countries. He said that this disease is found in the patients suffering from cough and flue and it is called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) which also affects animals particularly camel, sheep and goat.

Kh. Salman Rafique stressed the need for providing guidance to the people intending to perform Haj and Umrah. Therefore, concerned Federal Government departments should be contacted to create awareness among the Hujjaj during their training. Kh. Salman Rafique constituted two teams comprising experts which will prepare immediate recommendations for the treatment of patients and eradication of the disease.