SAHIWAL: Local health authorities have completed screening of 317 Chinese working at the Sahiwal Coal-Fired Power Plant and found no symptom of coronavirus.

More than 400 Chinese workers engaged by four Chinese companies reside at the plant premises at Qaderabad beside more than 2,000 Pakistani engineers and workers.

Sources told Dawn that around 100 Chinese who went to their country to see their families during the second week of January have been held back by the Chinese authorities.

Azhar Naqvi, CEO of the District Health Authority, told Dawn a team of health professionals led by Dr Saad Bin Saeed visited the plant and screened 317 Chinese workers. “Not a single Chinese worker working inside the plant is found with any symptom of the virus”, he said.

He confirmed that 100 Chinese had been held back in China. He said during screen special attention was given to those Chinese workers who had visited their country during past three to four weeks, especially to Wuhan city. He said 33 of them had returned in January.

The CEO said local health authorities had arranged a special isolated premise at the DHQ Teaching Hospital for meeting any emergency caused by the deadly virus.

He the Chinese companies had already hired native doctors who were conscious of the virus threat and were taking all possible preventive measures.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2020