Health minister inspects mpox screening facility at airport

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah on Tuesday visited Bacha Khan International Airport to oversee the screening process for mpox (monkeypox) among arriving passengers.

He was accompanied by MNA Arbab Sheer Ali and Director of Public Health, Dr Irshad Roghani.During the visit, Dr Farizuddin, In-charge of Border Health Services at the airport, briefed the minister on the screening procedures put in place for passengers arriving on international flights.

Syed Qasim Ali Shah inspected the screening of passengers and assessed the measures being taken.Emphasizing the importance of precautionary measures, the minister stated: “It is better to be proactive in preventing the spread of the disease rather than responding to an outbreak. We are focusing on screening to prevent the potential spread of mpox. Passengers arriving from border points and airports are urged to cooperate with the screening staff. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cannot afford another COVID-19-like pandemic.”

The minister said special instructions had been issued to Medical Teaching Institutions to immediately isolate any suspected mpox patients identified during OPD consultations and refer them to isolation wards.

Samples from these patients will be sent to the Public Health Reference Lab for analysis to determine whether they have contracted Mpox.Syed Qasim Ali Shah said there had been no reported cases of the Clade I strain of mpox so far, and the Clade II strain was less dangerous and not typically life-threatening.