The first patient of the coronavirus has recovered completely, and he would most probably be released from hospital on Saturday evening. This was disclosed at the ninth Task Force meeting on the coronavirus held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here on Friday at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Minister of Health Dr Azra Pechuho, Advisor on Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Sindh Mushtaq Maher, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Home Secretary Usman Chachar, Secretary Home Zahid Abbasi, DG PDMA Salman Shah, representatives of WHO, Corps 5, Rangers, Airport administration, Civil Aviation Authority, FIA and other agencies concerned.
The chief minister was told that the first patient of the coronavirus was tested on Friday, and he was diagnosed as negative. It meant that the patient had been cured and most probably he would be released from the hospital on Saturday.
The chief minister expressing his satisfaction and happiness congratulated the recovered patient, his family members, the doctors and the health department and other team members who had been working day and night to contain the threat.
"This is good news you have given us today, but yesterday you had given a bad news by diagnosing the third case of coronavirus in Sindh," he said and hoped the other patients would also recover soon.
Secretary Health briefing the chief minister said that the victim who had been tested positive on Thursday had been to Iran from February 12 to 24. Fifteen contacts of the patient were traced, and five high-risk contacts were tested, and fortunately all the results turned out to be negative.
To a question the chief minister was told that 96 pilgrims had traveled with the patient. The chief minister directed the Minister of Health to send their details to the deputy commissioners and asked them to trace them and isolate them till their necessary medical investigation was conducted.
The chief minister was told that 13 samples of suspects of different districts such as Kambar-Shahdadkot, Nawabshah, Jacobabad and Karachi were sent for lab test and fortunately all of them diagnosed as negative.
It was pointed out that 800 pilgrims from Taftan would reach Jacobabad on Sunday. The chief minister directed the health department to make arrangements for keeping them in quarantine anywhere in Sukkur division and provide them all facilities, residence, food, medicines till they complete 14 days mandatory isolation.
The chief minister directed the chief secretary to have all the arrangements made through district and divisional administration. He also directed the IG police to issue necessary instructions to the police for making security arrangements.
It may be noted that 800 pilgrims would come from Taftan to Sindh via Jacoabad on special buses. The health department has conducted 94 tests of the coronavirus suspects till Friday.