Coronavirus: Govt to initiate Drug Safety Research Unit to curb epidemics

The PTI government has decided to establish Drug Safety Research Unit (DSRU) to curb epidemics.

According to the details, A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza in Islamabad on Friday.

In his remarks, the Special Assistant said the move is aimed at constantly monitoring the epidemics and ensure the presence of a coordinated mechanism to deal with any kind of situation immediately.

The DSRU will comprise of eminent doctors and health experts.

The meeting reviewed the arrangements to cope with the coronavirus.

Dr Zafar Mirza urges people not panic over Coronavirus outbreak

Zafar Mirza said that an effective mechanism has been put in place to ensure screening of passengers coming from abroad. Seven hundred and ninety thousand passengers have so far been screened.

Meanwhile, chairing another meeting in Islamabad on Friday that was attended by representatives of different global organizations, the Special Assistant on National Health Services said the government is using all available resources to protect the masses from coronavirus.

He said the federal and provincial governments are working together to ensure implementation of the action plan against the coronavirus.

The Special Assistant said six cases of coronavirus have so far been confirmed in Pakistan. He said we timely took the necessary steps to contain the virus.

The representatives of global organizations appreciated the government’s steps and assured full cooperation to Pakistan to cope with the challenge posed by coronavirus.

Earlier, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Health Dr Zafar Mirza said that one case of Corona virus has been reported in Sindh while the other has been reported in the federal capital.

The first case of the deadly coronavirus in Pakistan has been reported in Karachi’s private hospital, a spokesperson for the Sindh Health Department confirmed.

The 22-year-young male patient travelled to Iran where he acquired the virus He cam back to Pakistan few days back in an airplane Media Coordinator to the Health and Population Welfare Minister Meeran Yousuf said in a statement.

Coronavirus

It is to be noted that an ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, started in December 2019.

It was first identified in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, China.[5][6] As of 26 February 2020, 81,278 cases have been confirmed, including in all provinces of China and more than forty other countries.

There have been 2,770 deaths attributable to the disease, including 55 outside mainland China, surpassing that of the 2003 SARS outbreak.

However, more than 30,000 people have since recovered.