17 more suspected coronavirus patients admitted to KP hospitals

PEAHAWAR: Amid fear and panic, 17 more suspected coronavirus patients were admitted to different hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday, officials said.

With the rise in the number of patients, the government operationalised the Public Health Laboratory Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for carrying out tests of suspected coronavirus patients in the province.

According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Director General Health Services, Dr Tahir Nadeem, 17 more patients were brought to different hospitals in seven districts of the province. He said seven patients were reported in Peshawar and six tested negative. He added that result of the other patient is awaited.

“Three each suspected coronavirus patients were reported in Swat and Swabi districts. Abbottabad, Mardan, Lower Dir and Bajaur reported one case each,” he added.

The Director General Health said one new suspected case of COVID-19 was reported at the Police and Services Hospital, Peshawar. “All protocols were followed regarding isolation, case reporting, sample transport and case management,” he explained.

He said four students from Haripur who had travelled to China were referred to the Police and Services Hospital, where they were investigated and declared healthy and free of disease.

Dr Tahir Nadeem said that a list of 306 persons from 10 districts with recent travel history to Iran was shared with the authorities in the respective districts for investigation and follow up tracing. He said they have constituted Rapid Response Teams in all districts of the province and initiated establishment of High Dependency Unit (HDUs) in the six high risk districts, i.e. Peshawar, Kohat, Hangu, Dera Ismail Khan, Orakzai and Kurram.

The health department, he said, had enhanced the number of beds and services for an anticipated outbreak of the disease. “The three tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar, including Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex have been directed to enhance their capacity in case of outbreak of coronavirus,” he said. It may be added that two patients have been diagnosed with coronavirus in Pakistan so far.