On the directions of Chief Minister Punjab, Hamza Shehbaz, Health Department in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other stake holders has issued guidelines to the all concerned departments and the institutions.
By the grace of Allah no case of Monkeypox has been reported in Pakistan however, Precautionary Measures have been taken by the government departments and diagnostic test lab facility has been provided in the BSLIII Lab of Institute of Public Health.
These views were expressed by the members Punjab Assembly, Khawaja Salman Rafique and Kh. Imran Rafique while talking to the media persons on this occasion. Professor Dr. Sobia Qazi, Dean IPH, Prof. Dr. Zarfishan Tahir, Director Communicable Disease Control Program (CDC), DGHS, Dr. Shahid Magsi and other public health experts addressed the seminar. Prof. Sobia Qazi said that symptoms of small pox and chicken pox are very similar with the viral disease monkey pox therefore clinicians should get more information and orientation regarding the disease so that they could differentiate between the diseases and without solid reason and lab test, do not declare similar skin dis-ease cases as monkeypox patients. Director CDC Dr. Shahid Magsi informed the participants that no Monkeypox case has so far been reported in this region including Pakistan.
He informed that all preventive steps are being taken by the government departments. Dean IPH, Dr. Zarfishan Tahir said that the main objective of the seminar was to create awareness amongst the doctors as well as in the general public regarding the monkey pox.
She said that people should not get panic and do not pay heed to the rumors regarding the disease , however pre-ventive measures should be taken including wearing masks while going market/gathering and hand washing after interaction with others to ensure hygienic conditions. She said that Institute of Public Health is ready to perform its active role for prevention and control of diseases and creation awareness at every level. She appreciated the role of media in creating awareness at mass level.
