LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Prof Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that Punjab government laid emphasis on prevention and diagnosis soon after outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, which helped control the disease to a reasonable level in the province.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in the province, Punjab was able to conduct only up to 400 tests per day and later enhanced its diagnostic capacity to enable itself to conduct 22,000 to 23,000 tests per day currently,” she said while speaking at a video-conference on “COVID-19 – Importance of Diagnosis for Prevention and Challenges” organised by Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman Memorial Society (Jang Group of Newspapers) here on Wednesday.
The Health Minister said that Punjab adopted uniform protocol in treatment of COVID-19, which helped in preventing its disastrous effects to considerable extent. She informed that Punjab government had spent Rs14 billion on the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the province. She said that Punjab government also adopted the policy of enforcing smart lockdown only in hotspot areas in various districts in order to help normalise the economic activity in other parts of the districts concerned.
The Corona Experts Advisory Group (CEAG) Chairman Prof Dr Mahmood Shaukat said that, as per national statistics of coronavirus, Punjab has fared quite well in preventing the virus due to a uniform policy to deal with various aspects of the disease including its prevention, diagnosis and treatment. “We will have to adapt to the new normal and bring required changes in our lifestyle to prevent coronavirus,” he added.
Dean Institute of Public Health (IPH) Prof Dr Zarfishan Tahir said that Punjab government had done a commendable job by enhancing its capacity to conduct testing to stop spread of coronavirus. She said that PCR test was gold-standard in diagnosis of COVID-19 and antigen test was effective in contact-tracing, while further adding that antibodies test was done to check the presence of virus in the body once the patient recovered from it.
General Secretary, The Foundation, Dr Fayyaz Alam said that antigen test was cheaper in price and its result is also delivered fast. “The rapid antigen test has provided a huge relief to the doctors and medical staff after many healthcare providers lost their lives to the coronavirus,” he added. However, he stressed the need to make testing accessible in remote and rural areas, besides sensitizing the people for prevention of the coronavirus.
Consultant Radiologist and CEO al-Noor Diagnostic Centre, Prof Dr Safdar Ali Malik said that the lack of coronavirus testing has caused difficulties to the patients in seeking the required treatment. He also stressed the need to post qualified staff at laboratories in order to provide best quality diagnostic services vis-à-vis the pandemic.
Prof of Community Medicine and Public Health/Director Department of Medical Education, Azra Naheed Medical College, Superior University, Lahore, and General Secretary al-Khidmat Foundation, Prof Dr Zahid Latif emphasized the need to bring change in habits and lifestyle to adapt to the new normal and prevent the coronavirus and other infectious diseases. “The rapid antigen test for diagnosis of coronavirus should be started at public level in Punjab,” he said, adding that these tests were already being conducted in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and Balochistan.
Consultant Pulmonologist/Director Corona Care Centre, Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI), Lahore, Dr Javed Hayat Khan urged the public to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) under the guidelines, prepared by Punjab government, in order to prevent the spread of virus among the people. “If anyone feels any symptoms, then he or she must immediately get the PCR done,” he advised.
National Chair, Rotary Pakistan/Water and Sanitation Mission, former District Governor, Rotary International, Sajid Pervaiz Bhatti said that they had provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the doctors and medical staff as well as donated ventilators to the hospitals.
Head of World Health Organization (WHO), Provincial Office, Dr Jamshed Ahmad emphasized the need to enforce regulatory mechanism, besides ensuring quality control in testing regime for diagnosis of coronavirus.
Besides, Brig (retd) Dr Waheed-uz-Zaman, Dr Romana Imtiaz, Consultant Hematologist, al-Noor Diagnostic Centre, Dr Muhammad Salman, Consultant Microbiologist, National Institute of Health, Islamabad, Dr Asif Ali, Director Institute of Pathology and Diagnostic Medicine, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar/Focal Person Lab of Health Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also spoke.
Chairman MKRMS Wasif Nagi conducted the video-conference, while Hafiz Marghoob Ahmad Hamdani recited verses from Holy Quran and Na’at-e-Rasool (SAW).
