ISLAMABAD: The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services and Regulations, Dr Zafar Mirza, has said that the government has constituted a committee for the prevention of coronavirus during Eidul Adha. He said that that the government in collaboration with the other stakeholders including scholars would soon formulate a strategy for Eidul Adha. The SAPM further stated that as per a research conducted by national institutes, the wearing of masks reduced chance of coronavirus infection by up to 50 percent; therefore, the people must use the facemask at public places and at gatherings.
He said that the effects of "smart lockdown" might not be felt soon but in the cities where smart lockdown had imposed, the number of corona cases had come down.
Government measures are in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus, said Dr Mirza.
He said that Pakistan had become self-sufficient in manufacturing Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Dr Mirza stressed the need to maintain social distancing, frequent washing of hands, avoiding crowded places, and special care of elders, to successfully control the pandemic.
He said that the SOPs had been setup to avoid coronavirus as it took time for people's attitudes to change.
The SAPM said that the people in Pakistani society did not even follow the laws.
Dr Mirza said that there was no specific cure for the coronavirus yet. He said clinical trials of experimental drugs were underway, while suspicions were being raised about chloroquine. The Dexamethasone was investigated in the UK, and it reduced the death rate. Dexamethasone is also present in Pakistan.
He said that the government was taking action against the hoarders, and had set up a hotline to address the issue.
We have created a system under which there will be no shortage of medicines.
Dr Mirza said that plasma therapy had limited benefits, adding that 30,000 tests were being conducted daily in Pakistan, and soon there would be more than one lakh tests conducted on a daily basis.
He also expressed hope that by mid July or its end, Pakistan would witness a decrease in coronavirus cases.
Meanwhile, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has issued registration letters for import and manufacturing of Remdesivir used for critically-ill patients of Covid-19 in the country. According to a spokesperson of the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations, on increasing demand, approvals were issued to two importers and 14 local manufacturers.