Handbook on Field Isolation Centre launched

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A panel of doctors working at the Field Isolation Centre, Karachi, has compiled a handbook of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Protocols regarding the pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, who was the chief guest at its launching ceremony on May 19, lauded the efforts of the doctors for having made a consolidated endeavor to log their experience in the fight against COVID-19 and devise SOPs/Protocols in the form of the book which would serve as a guideline for smooth establishment of a similar facility in future. 

“This handbook is an excellent culmination of their efforts. it will help not only other national efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 but also those developing countries that lie in circumstances similar to ours who will use it as a guide map to building isolation centres in their own areas,” he reckoned. 

The organizers of the programme presented first copy of the handbook titled Field Isolation Centre-Karachi to the chief minister on the occasion. 

The launching ceremony was attended by among others by Dr Nuzhat Faruqui, Dr Waris Ahmed, Dr Muneer Amanullah, Dr Arish Haider, Faisal Edhi, Dr Mushtaq Chhapra besides Commissioner Karachi, Iftikhar Shalwani. 

The Field Isolation Centre was set up at the Expo Centre, Karachi, jointly by the Sindh Government and the Pakistan Army last month.

Sindh introduces app for home study

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Sindh education department has introduced an app to help facilitate school children to study at home during COVID-19 vacations, Senator Saeed Ghani revealed on May 20. 

The students from KG to 5th class can get education at home with this app, the senator tweeted. By using any android mobile phone, one can download SELD Learning app through play store. 

He advised the parents to resume their children’s education and encourage them in learning the subjects of Sindhi, Urdu and English at home.

Federal Minister starts development work in Karachi

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Development work, including road carpeting, has started in the constituency of Ali Haider Zaidi, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, and Member of National Assembly from NA-244 Karachi.

The road carpeting work in UC-5, PS-104 and NA-244 in Karachi Administrative Society’s Block 5 has started, the minister tweeted on May 19, adding that pavement work has also started in UC-6, PS-104 ward 3, Sector C, Street 32-33 Road.  

Meanwhile, the residents of these areas have expressed gratitude to the Minister for carrying out development work. 

Arshad Khan, an area resident, in his tweet message while thanking minister for carrying out development work has called upon MNA Ali Zaidi to pay attention towards Gulistan-e-Johar Chowrangi’s shabby roads. 

Another citizen, on the other hand, quoted Prime Minister Imran Khan having said in the past that this was the job of local bodies’ representative to carry out road construction not by the members of the National Assembly.

Chinese military medical team share experience with Pakistani counterparts

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The 10-member Chinese military medical team, headed by Major General Huang Qingzhen, visited the headquarters of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) in Islamabad on May 19.

The Chinese medical team shared their experiences of early identification, early isolation and early treatment which helped China to contain the pandemic 

It is pertinent to mention that the Chinese military medical team is currently undertaking an official visit to Pakistan having various specialists including disease control, pulmonologists, ICU, infectious disease and control, testing and nursing experts. 

The team was briefed about Pakistan’s efforts so far against the pandemic besides the future course of action including emergency response measures. 

The visiting delegation was informed about the TTQ strategy which is the cornerstone of Pakistani’s National COVID-19 efforts and helping the scale and scope of targeted lockdowns and containment efforts against the coronavirus. 

The NCOC officials thanked the visiting delegation for sharing their expertise and valuable input. They also thanked the visiting delegation for all out support extended by China in fight against pandemic in all domains. 

The Chinese delegation appreciated the NCOC for steering the national COVID effort with scientific approach as per health experts advises.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh spikes again

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Sindh health department data, released on May 18, showed that COVID-19 infections were rising in the province again, just days after the province eased its lockdown restrictions. 

Karachi division, which reported on average 552 new infection per day during the last week (May 11 to 17) and 437 cases in the preceding week, recorded 733 new cases on the first day of the third week, which can also be attributed to the second highest increase of 864 cases in the provincial tally of new coronavirus infections on May 18.

Sindh’s all days’ highest was witnessed on May 9 when the province generated overall 1,080 news cases, including 691 in Karachi. 

A study of the COVID-19 data pertaining to Sindh revealed that the province had been showing new cases gradually on decrease after May 8. On average the province has reported 701 cases per day since May 9. 

Among districts of Karachi, according to an official report updated on May 18, South housed the maximum 2,812 COVID-19 patients, followed by East (2,775 patients), Central (2,204), Malir (1,807), West (1,437) and Korangi (1,159). 

On May 18, Sindh had 10,485 COVID-19 infected people in quarantine, while another 1,406 in hospitals, including 1296 clinically stable, 83 critically ill but not utilizing ventilators and 31 using ventilators.

A keen observer said that number of cases could increase further in the coming days, due to Youm-e-Ali congregation, Eid holidays and ease in COVID-19 restrictions and reduced social distancing, provided the authorities ensured the existing level of testing. 

In the meantime, three more patients died of COVID-19 in Karachi, including one man aged 40 years and two women aged 55 and 48 respectively raising the tally of coronavirus related death to 234 for the megapolis and 280 for the province. 

Besides new COVID-19 cases of Karachi, Ghotki reported 31 new cases, followed by Hyderabad (30), Larkana (21), Sukkur (17), Kambar Shahdadkot (7), Shikarpur (7), Kashmore (5), Thatta (5), Naushehro Feroz (2) and Matiari (2) while Jacobabad, Badin, Shaheed Benazirabad and Khairpur reported one case each. 

As many as 14 testing laboratories, out of 20, tested 4,679 samples from suspected people, taking the number of tests conducted to 127,573 in the province so far. Sindh has tested 17241 people positive for COVID-19.

Pakistani students arrive from Wuhan

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A special PIA flight onboard 250 Pakistani students from Wuhan, China, has arrived Islamabad on May 18. 

A large number of relatives of these students were present at the airport to welcome their near and dear ones.  

According to an official deputed at the airport, all the students will be required undergo medical checkup. Those found negative will be allowed to leave while hotel arrangements have been for others.

Pakistan struggling with COVID-19, locust swarm challenges

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Presently the infected patients of life threatening COVID-19 figure has crossed forty thousand all over the country and the death toll spiking every passing day at the same time, the country is also faced with locust swarm attack that can threaten food security. 

The country's main food-producing pockets have been haunted by a plague of locust swarms which are sweeping green fields with their devastating instinct heavily. 

The locusts has imposed a loss of 15 percent to the winter-sown crops last year amounting to at least 100 billion rupees (around 625.7 million US dollars), with fears that the damage would be huge if the next generation hatched, the Chinese news agency Xinhua said quoting Food Security Ministry. 

It may be recalled that the Chinese government is helping Pakistan both in terms for provision of medicines, equipments as well as experts to cope with the situation. 

In a recent report, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has warned of a huge level locust invasion in Pakistan if it is not controlled efficiently because locust breeding is taking place at 38 percent of the country's total area supported by suitable weather. 

The report added that the locust attacks could cause 817 billion rupees (around 5.1 billion US dollars) loss to Pakistan's agriculture production in 2020, which would turn obnoxious to its fragile economy.

Earlier in January, the Pakistani government imposed a national emergency on locust control. Many small farmers in district Chakwal were spraying their fields helplessly with manual backpack sprayer machine, trying to kill locusts which had damaged over 20 percent of green gram crop in one-night posing a big issue to his income. 

A 21-year-old young farmer told Xinhua that the locust swarm triggered panic among villagers as their crop was fine the previous evening but a lot of leaves had been eaten up a day later. 

They feared that if the situation prevails it would finish all cash crops, animals' fodders and fruits like it did with wheat crop in southern Sindh province.

"Last night, we sprayed and it had little result, then we repeated in the morning and it is a little effective. We are spraying but they keep moving here and there to eat and remain in the same area," the young farmer, requesting the local agriculture department to arrange an extensive spray to control the insect which has been playing havoc with crops across Pakistan since last year, remarked. 

The desert locust plague affected Pakistan's southern Sindh province last year before moving to the rest parts of the country. The Ministry of National Food Security and Plant Protection and other departments all came up with a response to the fly attacks. 

The Assistant Director of Agriculture Pest Warning in Chakwal, Muhammad Riaz, told Xinhua that the swarm scattered in two groups had affected around 400 acres crops in less than 48 hours, posing a big threat to crops in the area. 

"It is a prominent threat and it has spread like a virus because it has already reached to 15 districts in Punjab province. Another dangerous thing is that now the temperature is increasing and their eggs will be hatched and their population will increase manifolds," the official said. 

To cope with the threatening situation, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has planned to spray 500,000 hector of land.

Three Chinese COVID-19 vaccines in second phase of clinical trials

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Three COVID-19 vaccines have entered second phase of clinical trials in Beijing, a municipal health official on May 18. Xu Qiang, head of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, disclosed, adding that Beijing has arranged 21 science and technology projects in response to the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Five innovative drugs have been approved for clinical trials, and all of them have entered phase II clinical studies, he said at a routine press conference on COVID-19 prevention and control. 

According to a three-year action plan on strengthening the emergency management system for public health security in the capital (2020-2022), Xu revealed that Beijing will establish a linkage mechanism for prevention, clinical practice, scientific research, treatment and project emergency approval. 

Beijing plans to accelerate the research and development of diagnostic reagents, drugs, vaccines and medical equipment, and support pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturers in expanding their capacity to meet demands. They will also improve the layout of biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) labs. 

Xu further said that Beijing will strengthen the supportive role of new technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, 5G and the Internet of Things in epidemic monitoring and analysis, virus tracing, prevention, control and treatment.

Pakistani students fly home from Wuhan

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

There were waves of jubilation and celebration among the parents and relatives of the Pakistani students when they saw a twitter message from Ambassador Naghmana Hashim stating that a batch of Pakistani students had left Wuhan for Pakistan on May 18.

On board the national flag carrier PIA special flight arranged by the government, as many as 274 students left for Islamabad. 

“For our family, we feel today is our Eid,” the old mother of one of the students remarked while having tears in her eyes. 

She thanked the officials of the Pakistan embassy in Beijing as well as the foreign office and all those who took keen interest in enabling these students to return Pakistan before Eid. 

When contacted, an old mother with big smile on her face, said that he is very thankful to Almighty Allah as her son is returning home with good and sound health. 

“These students stood by China and braved the peak of COVID-19,” Ambassador Naghaman Hashmi stated while referring to Wuhan, the epicenter of the Coronavirus. 

On behalf of the Pakistan government, she wholeheartedly expressed her gratitude to the Chinese authorities by saying: “Thanks to China for looking after them (students) like their own”.

Chinese President replies to Pakistani students, encourages them

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chinese President, Xi Jinping, wrote back to Pakistani students studying in Beijing and encouraged them to promote youth exchanges and understanding.

China welcomes outstanding young people from around the world to study in China, and encourages them to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and their home countries, President Xi remarked in his letter on May 17.  

According to the state media, President Xi said that the Chinese government, as well as universities and schools, were always concerned about the safety and health of overseas students having offered to help meet students' needs in their daily lives, epidemic prevention and medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Chinese government treats foreigners and locals equally, President Xi stressed and the focus has been on saving lives. 

There are currently 52 Pakistani students studying at the University of Science and Technology in Beijing and 49 of them are pursuing PhD or post-graduate degrees. 

Earlier, the students wrote a letter to President Xi expressing gratitude for the support and help they had received from the university. They expressed their desire to devote themselves to the construction of the Belt and Road after graduation and contribute to the Pakistan-China friendship. 

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Chinese foreign ministry, Zhao Lijian, while replying to a question said that President Xi Jinping, in his reply to the letter, stated that they had learned a wealth of knowledge and made a lot of Chinese friends since they came to study in China. 

“I am pleased with your achievements. As you can feel, after the outbreak of the New Coronary Pneumonia, the Chinese government and educational institutions have always been concerned about the safety and health of foreign students studying in China, and have provided with all-round help. For the supremacy of life, whether it is Chinese or foreign personnel in China, the Chinese government and the Chinese people treat and care them equally,” the President observed.

“I learned that during the fight against the epidemic many foreign students cheered for the Chinese people through various means. See the truth in trouble. China will continue to provide all kinds of assistance to all foreign students in China,” he wrote, adding that China welcomed outstanding young people from all over the world to study in China. 

He hoped that the students will learn more about China and talk to the world about what they have seen, communicate with the Chinese youth, work with young people from all over the world, and work together to promote people-to-people communication and build humanity.