ISLAMABAD – Government has constituted a technical core committee to regularly monitor the situation and devise strategy to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
According to an official of the ministry, tasks have been assigned to the core committee with having members including Federal Secretary Health Allah Baksh Malik, Executive Director National Institute of Health (NIH) Prof Maj Gen Aamer Ikram, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Nousheen Hamid and representatives from departments concerned.
He said the NIH has already issued an advisory and alert on Novel Coronavirus to all provincial health departments and specially Points of Entries (PoEs) at all airports and ground crossing in the country.
He said the advisory was issued keeping in view the most recent emerging Pneumonia outbreak caused by a Novel Coronavirus in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and its impact on the globe.
He said the purpose of this advisory was to alert and sensitize the health staff all over the country to remain vigilant about any suspected cases coming from affected areas of China and for early detection of suspected cases of novel Coronavirus infection.
He said the NIH has activated its Emergency Operations Center to monitor the international dynamics of disease and coordination with Central Health Establishment (CHE), World Health Organizations (WHO) and provincial health departments for national prevention and control.
He said directions have been issued to NIH’s virology lab to develop a real time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR) capacity for novel coronavirus as early as possible.
The official said directives have also been issued to NIH’s virology lab to develop a real time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction capacity for coronavirus as early as possible.
NIH has already developed health education and information material for healthcare staff, passengers and general public in this regard.
