Screening clears 1,076 Chinese in Punjab of virus

Published February 2, 2020
The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) department has conducted screening of 1,076 Chinese citizens and cleared them of coronavirus disease. — Reuters/File
The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) department has conducted screening of 1,076 Chinese citizens and cleared them of coronavirus disease. — Reuters/File

Lahore: The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) department has conducted screening of 1,076 Chinese citizens and cleared them of coronavirus disease.

Health Secretary retired Capt Muhammad Usman said the department teams dispatched for the purpose accessed as many as 2,795 Chinese in Punjab. He said the Punjab Home Department had provided the health department a list of 2,795 Chinese with their home address and work place for the purpose of screening.

He said the screening of remaining Chinese people would also be completed as soon as possible. They were working for 50 companies at various sites of the Punjab province on different positions.

Of them, Mr Usman said, 150 people had returned from China during the last 15 days or so.

However, during screening process 1,076 of them showed no sign of novel coronavirus that has played havoc in China, the health secretary said.

He said seven suspected patients were admitted to the high-dependency unit (HDU). The department had already dispatched their samples to Hong Kong and their reports were awaited yet.

To a question, he said, most of the suspected patients had already been discharged after they recovered during treatment. Muhammad Usman further said the coronavirus committee constituted by the Punjab chief minister is examining the situation on a daily basis.

“We are trying to avert any kind of emergency for which the health department is in liaison with all the provincial and federal agencies,” Mr Usman said.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

Maintaining balance
Updated 16 Feb, 2025

Maintaining balance

It must take a more proactive approach to establishing Pakistan’s bona fides.
Welcome return
16 Feb, 2025

Welcome return

IT is almost here; the moment Pakistan has long been waiting for — the first International Cricket Council...
Childhood trauma
16 Feb, 2025

Childhood trauma

BEING a child in this society should not be so hard. But recurrent reports of child abuse — from burying girl...
The Peca problem
Updated 15 Feb, 2025

The Peca problem

The fight for fundamental freedoms is not the media’s alone, but one that concerns every citizen.
Miners in danger
15 Feb, 2025

Miners in danger

YESTERDAY’S devastating terrorist attack in Harnai, which killed at least 11 coal miners and injured seven others,...
Solar panels scam
15 Feb, 2025

Solar panels scam

THE scam involving over-invoicing to the tune of more than Rs69bn in the import of solar panels raises many ...