ISLAMABAD: *Pakistan government takes important decision over thecoronavirus epidemic.*
The federal government has decided to import coronavirus testing kits aimedat improving the testing capability amid surge in tally of the confirmedpatients that has now reached upto 18 across Pakistan.
According to sources, the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabadreceived 30 testing kits on Tuesday, provided by the World HealthOrganization (WHO).
“The institute will receive 100 more kits during the ongoing month,” theysaid adding that one kit is able to conduct test on 50 patients.
The sources further said that other than Islamabad, the testing kits arealso availablelinkinmajor centres of the country including Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar.
“The government has also decided to provide testing facility in GilgitBaltistan and it would be operational by this month,” they said adding thatcurrently the samples are conveyed to NIH Islamabad for tests.
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Yesterday, around 12,000 coronavirus testing kits arrived from Chinalink at JinnahInternational Airport, Karachi.
Japan has also donated ten coronavirus testing kits to Pakistan on February05 which were then handed over to officials of the National Institute ofHealth (NIH).
The kits were made available on a request by the Government of Pakistan.Each testing kit costs US$2,000.
Earlier in the day, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National HealthServices Dr Zafar Mirza said that they were fully prepared to deal with anyemergency situation.
