Declared as the International Health Threat, Ebola is soon to reach an infection rate of 10,000 a week if measures are not taken ASAP, as claimed by United Nations.
While there have been no reported cases of Ebola in Pakistan, National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination has decided to take proactive measures to fight Ebola. The precautionary measures chalked out as the plan to screen, identify and prevent cases of Ebola, have been formulated using the guidelines sent by WHO.
Some of the measures included to identify any incoming cases of Ebola from infected countries include screening tests and measures employed at all airports and other entry/exit points across Pakistan and checks by army for soldiers coming in from infected countries.
While, the minister of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, Saira Tarar said that public hospitals have been instructed to create separate wards for Ebola patients’ treatments, Professor Jawed Akram of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) claims that no such directions have been received from the federal government and all measures taken by PIMS are their own initiatives. These initiatives by PIMS include a set up of a separate ward for Ebola patients and a special team of doctors and medical staff trained for Ebola treatments.
The NHRSC has also ordered the initiation of an Ebola awareness campaign across the country along with participation from the community level. Apart from the local campaigns and measures, the World Health Organization and UNICEF Health have committed to provide assistance with the medical staff training and awareness campaigns.
