MIANWALI: On the directions of Deputy Commissioner Omer Sher Chatha, a team of doctors rushed to village Nasriwala in tehsil Isakhel this morning for the screening of all inhabitants of village for coronavirus there. The village consists of 270 houses with population of nearly 1,500.

The step was being taken after two residents of the village - a 60-year-old man and his 69-year-old brother - were declared positive for the virus and admitted to the Qmara Mashani Rural Health Centre of Qamar Mushani on March 24.

RHC doctors said that one of the positives case is the father of a Lahore-based journalist, who also contracted the virus last week. Both the father and his uncle visited the Lahore Mayo Hospital.

Both of them said their journalist kin was improving. As they come back to their village they met with many people who came to inquire about health of their son. They also attended a funeral prayer.

They were brought to the Qamar Mushani RHC on March 24 after they developed symptoms and were kept in isolation ward. Their tests were sent to the Islamabad National Institue of Health and results reported positive on March 26. The version of both patients was confirmed by their relatives when contacted by this scribe that they physically met with their son who is already under treatment as virus patient.

An insider of health department on the condition of anonymity told Dawn that various isolation wards had been established in the district but all of them were short of essential facilities to treat virus patients. He said there was a shortage of personal procurement equipment required for doctors and paramedics which has spread fear amongst staff. Also, the ventilators available only at the Mianwali District Headquarters Hospital and all other isolation wards were not in effective usage.

The relatives of both coronavirus patients are not satisfied with treatment and urged the government to look into the matter and provide necessary equipment to the RHC and other isolation centres of the district to fight against virus.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2020