Pakistan still hasn’t received coronavirus testing kits

Pakistan has yet to receive coronavirus testing kits from China and Japan, despite previous assurances by the government that the kits would be here soon.

Over 14,000 infections have been confirmed around the world and over 300 deaths. The first death outside of China was reported on Sunday in the Philippines.

Pakistan, a neighbour of China, has not evacuated its citizens from Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, and says it was screening passengers arriving from China, directly or indirectly. It later shut down flight operations between Pakistan and China.

Dr Zafar Mirza, the special assistant to the prime minister on health, has made repeated claims that the testing kits are on their way. These kits are needed to confirm cases of coronavirus. Without them, samples have to be sent to China or other countries for confirmation.

So far, no cases have been confirmed in Pakistan.

On January 29, Dr Mirza held a press conference where he said the diagnostic kits were being developed in China and would be in Pakistan “tomorrow evening” (Jan 30). On January 30, he said it would take two days (February 1) for the kits to arrive.

He held another press conference on February 1 where he said the kits would arrive that evening. But as of February 2 morning, the kits have still not arrived in Pakistan.

Dr Muhammad Salman, the focal person for the anti-coronavirus programme, said on February 1 that the testing kits would be in Pakistan “today, tomorrow or day after”.

Having those kits will go a long way to preventing and controlling the spread of coronavirus in Pakistan.

Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/pakistan/2020/02/pakistan-still-hasnt-received-coronavirus-testing-kits/