One more Coronavirus case has been diagnosed in the city, the patient has been shifted to hospital and his family members who were in contact with him have also been isolated in their house.
This was disclosed in the meeting of Taskforce on coronavirus held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here on Saturday at CM House. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Minister Health Dr Azra Pechuho, Minister Local Government Nasir Shah, Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, COS 5 Corps Brigaier Abdul Sami, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi, Dr Bari of Indus hospital, DG PDMA Salman Shah, DIG South Sharjeel Kharal, Dr Sara of WHO, Haris Mustafa focal Person of WHO, Col Nasir Zishan of 5 Corps, Imran Ahmed Director Airport Services, Dr Khurram Chief Medical officer of CAA.
The Chief Minister on the third consecutive day was reviewing the progress made so far in testing suspects of coronavirus when he was told that one more case has been diagnosed. The patient had returned from Iran on February 20 and was living with his four family members. The patient had flue like symptoms and was kept in 10 days in isolation. During the isolation the patient's test was conducted which has been diagnosed as positive.
The Chief Minister was told that the patient, 65, has been shifted to hospital and his four family members have been isolated in their home for further medical investigations. The Chief Minister directed the health department to contact the relatives of the patients who might have met him when he had returned from Iran. "We will have to be more alert and effective to tracing the people coming into contact with the suspects or patients so that spread of the virus could be contained," he said and added "we have been meeting regularly ever-since the first case has appeared, therefore our strategy must be result-oriented," he said.
To a question, the Chief Minister was told that the health department had got 41 samples of the suspects for tests, of them they have received result of 38 tests in which two have been found positive and 36 negative. The result of three tests was being awaited.
It may be noted that out 1421 pilgrims of Iran 1419 have been traced, of them 932 are still in Iran and 481 have returned. The Chief Minister directed health department, airport services, FIA, CAA and divisional commissioners through chief secretary to keep each and every individual coming back to Sindh by air or through Balochistan so that necessary precautionary measures for them and their families could be made properly.
The Chief Minister directed Director Airport Service to provide a latest list of the Pakistanis who have gone to Iran and have or have not returned. He directed the Commissioner Karachi to coordinate with Iranian consulate to seek exact list of the visas they have issued to Pakistanis for Iran. "This will help us to develop accurate data of the passengers who travelled to Iran and the number of pilgrims coming back," he said.
Murad Ali Shah directed the chief secretary to coordinate with Balochistan government and request them to test the pilgrims of Iran at Taftan border and then return them to their respective provinces.
The Chief Minister urged Dr Bari of Indus Hospital to purchase testing kits of the coronavirus. He also directed health department to compile a detailed list of the coronavirus testing facility available at different hospitals/health institutions operating in Karachi so that they could be contacted for tests rapidly.
Shah also decided to purchase 25 ventilators so that patients, if diagnosed, could be kept on ventilator. The task of purchasing ventilators has been assigned to Indus hospital which would be provided Rs 50 million.
The meeting was told that the last flight from Iran landed in Karachi on February 27, and after that no flight has came.
The meeting also decided to issue an advisory for the families and the schools to stop children attending schools who have history of visiting Iran.
The fourth meeting of the Taskforce will be held on Sunday at 7 pm, concluded the Chief Minister.
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