The government has established separate isolated wards for the patients infected from Coronavirus in hospitals in Karachi and other cities.
KARACHI: (Urdu Point/Pakistan Point News-Feb 27th, 2020) With the latest discovery of two cases of Coronavirus in Pakistan, the prices of surgical masks have skyrocketed in Karachi here on Thursday.
According to the details, the masks ether have disappeared from the medical stores or are being sold against unaffordable prices across the metropolis city.
A medical store owner told Pakistan Point that a normal box of ordinary masks was available in the market against Rs 300 to Rs 400 which has now gone high up Rs 2,000. Another store owner says that N-95 masks used for protection from Coronavirus despite that its prices have gone high but the masks are not available in the markets.
About 10,000 N-95 masks and more than 3,600 ordinary regular masks were exported to China despite ban y the government Pakistan. Six companies were allowed to export masks to China which caused shortage in the country.
“This shortage is only because of the hoarders,” said health officials.
It may be mentioned here that two cases of Coronavirus appeared in Pakistan; first case was in Karachi and the second patient was identified in Islamabad who was shifted to Pakistan Institute on Medical Sciences (PIMS). Separate wards have been established at Karachi hospitals. The government officials established three isolation wards in Karachi’s Civil, Jinnah and Aga Khan hospital for treatment of the patient infected with Coronavirus. According to Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority has also been asked to take steps in this regard.
Shah said details of those who travelled with the person who tested positive for coronavirus have been sought so that they could also be screened. The provincial minister stressed that Federal and provincial governments should work together to control the epidemic disease.
