ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza on Friday said that all speculation regarding an alarming rise in the number of deaths from the novel coronavirus in Karachi should be ceased until an investigation had established the facts into the matter.
He made the comments while reviewing an an IT-based platform that will channelize the contributions of the Pakistani medical community abroad during the coronavirus catastrophe in their homeland. The platform will be launched today (Saturday), The News reported.
Re-appearing for the televised briefing after a day’s gap, Mirza said that while Pakistan is receiving a lot of aid in the shape of funds, equipment and medical supplies - both from within the country and abroad - the 30,000 plus medical fraternity comprising Pakistani doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists abroad is particularly keen to contribute to aid.
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“Pakistani doctors’ associations in the US, UK and other countries have previously also been involved in capacity-building initiatives, and the IT platform will only bring them on board and channelize their possible role in today’s health emergency,” he said.
Referring to the mysterious dead-on-arrival cases reported in Karachi, Mirza said it would be premature to label them all as coronavirus deaths until the cause of death is established through testing. “I had detailed discussions with the Sindh minister for health and we both agreed that without tests, it was highly unfair to attribute all deaths to COVID-19, as is being done in a section of the media,” Mirza noted.
He stated that while scientific investigations are underway and contact tracing of the dead has begun, all speculations should be put to rest till solid evidence is obtained. The SAPM said the federal government will issue an advisory today (Saturday) for doctors and nurses working in hospital emergencies.
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He said the advisory will offer tips on how to receive mysterious death-on-arrival cases, what precautions to take if a patient is clinically suspected of having coronavirus, and which tests to conduct. “A strategy has been devised in collaboration with the Sindh government,” he added.
Mirza said there has been a progressive increase in Pakistan’s coronavirus testing capacity. “As many as 6,264 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, which is by far the largest number of tests in a day,” he said. The minister said that having attained the capability to conduct one million tests, Pakistan will be performing 20,000 tests per day by the end of April as it progresses to reach the target of 30,000 tests per day.
“These tests are critical because they will help us identity and isolate confirmed patients as we try to contain the epidemic,” he maintained. Globally, 2.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported worldwide, with 150,000 deaths, 553,000 recoveries, and a case fatality rate of 6.75 percent as against 1.9 percent in Pakistan.