ISLAMABAD: While the federal government has informed the Supreme Court that the number of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases may surge to 50,000 with 7,000 critical cases by April 25, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Saturday appealed to the masses not to pay heed to assumptions related to number of cases in the coming days.

The PM’s aide also announced that a large number of substandard hand sanitiser brands had been found in the market.

Dr Mirza told a press conference that the media had been reporting assumption-based number of cases in its programmes and reports, but those assumptions should not be considered confirmed as the situation could change anytime.

“Some predictive modelling is being done by the media at national and international level but those estimates are based on assumptions and should not be considered as final,” he said.

Mirza vows training for doctors as demand for PPE surges

The PM’s aide said the ministry was looking into the estimates and preparing itself for the possible requirements to deal with Covid-19 pandemic in coming days, but people should not pay heed to those estimates.

‘Doctors unaware of PPE use’

He said the government had decided to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to health professionals on priority, but it was observed that health professionals in large numbers were “not aware about proper use of PPE including masks, caps, gowns and other equipment. So we have decided to inform them about proper use of PPE”.

Dr Mirza asked senior doctors to train junior doctors about the use of PPEs and announced that a training programme would be launched soon at the national level.

The PM’s aide on health also told the media about the findings of a recent testing by the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) a day after Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry tweeted about it and advised the health department to remove the substandard sanitiser from stores.

Dr Mirza said: “On the basis of analysis, it can be said that a large number of substandard sanitiser are being sold in the market. Sanitiser should have minimum 70 per cent alcohol, but it is observed that less alcohol and other ingredients are being included in sanitiser,” he said.

In Lahore, he said, 22 samples were collected from the market for analysis and all of them had less than 70pc alcohol.

Under the National Command and Control Centre on Covid-19, he said, both civil and military institutions were making collective efforts to combat the deadly virus.

Meanwhile, a house in Islamabad’s Barma Town was sealebd after a 59-year-old man tested positive for coronavirus. After the confirmation report, it was decided to test 11 other residents of the house.

An official of the Ministry of National Health Services, requesting anonymity, said the virus could infect more persons in Pakistan than those in the United States and Europe, as in Pakistan, eight to 15 people live in one house, which was much higher than the average number of people in each house in Europe and the US.

Doctors demand PPEs

Earlier, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) had written letters to Prime Minister Imran Khan and all chief ministers to provide PPEs to health professionals and ensure their test for coronavirus, as the health professionals were on the front line in the war against Covid-19.

PMA Secretary General Dr Qaisar Sajjad said the lives of doctors were at risk due to the shortage of PPEs. This was the reason that so many doctors fell prey to the deadly virus, he added. “We strongly suggest having Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Corona Test of all the doctors who are on duty without PPEs so that the doctors can be diagnosed and kept into isolation urgently, otherwise they would infect many others,” the PMA representative said.

He said the doctors tested negative for the deadly virus should be given protection urgently with the PPEs. “The doctors serving corona patients are facing pressure from their families to quit their jobs. One can well imagine the horrible results if they are not protected and they quit. Protection of doctors is very serious issue at this stage,” he emphasised.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2020