LAHORE, Dec 24: At least 10 swine flu cases have so far emerged in Karachi, but the much-needed quarantine facility to detect the communicable virus among suspected patients is unavailable at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.
Experts say the quarantine facility is necessary to isolate passengers suspected of having swine flu virus and keep them under observation till the diagnostic reports clear them. This process is carried out to prevent the spread of communicable disease like swine flu virus, they say.
Inadequate measures to check the spread of this communicable infection at the critical entry point (airport) has exposed tall claims of the authorities concerned, it is learnt.
Meanwhile, the Punjab health department has alerted district governments and health facilities with instructions to make proper arrangements for combating any emergency situation. New guidelines have also been issued to health institutions, particularly to handle swine flu cases.
A source said the civil aviation administration had informed the federal government about the missing quarantine facility and demanded the establishment of at least six-bed hospital at the Allama Iqbal International Airport to deal with the situation.
The suspected swine flu passengers arriving at the Lahore airport from various destinations of the world were either referred to the Services Hospital or the Shaikh Zayed Hospital for treatment in isolation wards, he said.
A senior official of the Civil Aviation Authority said almost all airports in the world offered the quarantine facility with additional arrangements of wellequipped labs and the trained staff. Even this facility was also available at the Karachi airport, he said.
However, he said, that teams of health of ficers had been alerted about the start of the swine flu season.
Airport health officer Dr Rubina said there was no isolation or quarantine facility available at the airport.
She said the federal government had repeatedly been requested to establish a small hospital at the airport to keep the suspected swine flu passengers under observation, but to no avail.
She, however, said the airport was wellequipped with some other important equipment and gadgets like thermograms to screen the suspected swine flu passengers.
“Once a passenger is declared suspected with swine flu virus, his/her blood samples are sent to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad while the suspect is referred to Services Hospital or Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore,” she said.
This practice was going on since the quarantine facility was not available at the airport, she said.
Punjab Health Director General Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam told Dawn health institutions had been issued guidelines and instructions for the treatment of the suspected swine flu patients.
He said the swine flu epidemic had not been reported in any district of the province so far.
No comments:
Post a Comment