Testing & corona virus

Testing & corona virus

The threat of coronavirus is growing globally even as the numbers continue to decline in China, where the virus was originally reported.Initial Steps initiated by Pakistani Government to Combat Coronavirus: In Pakistan, the federal government and the respective provincial governments have announced a number of measures to contain the spread of the virus. To help people who feel like they might have the symptoms, reached out to health officials to understand the process through which one can be tested for the virus for free.

Important Facts to Know:

A patient suspecting they are manifesting symptoms of coronavirus should visit a government designated public or private hospital. According to National Institute of Health (NIH) official Dr Mumtaz Ali Khan, all district headquarter hospitals and tertiary care hospitals across the country are equipped to collect samples for coronavirus. At the hospital, a doctor will check the patient for symptoms to determine if he or she may have Coronavirus.

Steps taken during testing:

• The patient will be asked a set of questions regarding their travel history as well as of those they have been in close contact with.
• If the doctor rules out suspicion of coronavirus, the patient will be sent back.
• If the doctor comes to the conclusion that the patient is manifesting symptoms, a swab of their saliva is taken and sent to one of the designated facilities that have coronavirus testing equipment.
• This testing will be done free of cost in government hospitals.

Point to ponder:

Please note that in case of normal Influenza or normal sickness, a person should stay at home not rush to hospitals as the hospitals are already over occupied. Now, the question arises what should the person do in such a situation. According to doctors, the person must act in a responsible manner and self-isolate themself. During that period, if the person felt severe illness then reach to a hospital and must seek a doctor for further treatment. Details of private hospitals conducting coronavirus testing: However, some private labs are also independently testing individuals for the virus against a fee.

Punjab

Services Hospital - Lahore

Nishtar Hospital - Multan

Benazir Hospital - Rawalpindi

AJK

Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan Hospital - Muzaffarabad

Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences - Muzaffarabad

Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan Hospital - Rawalakot

Divisional Headquarters Hospital - Mirpur

District Headquarters Hospital - Kotli

Sindh

Chandka Medical College Hospital - Larkana

Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College - Sukkur

Peoples Medical University Hospital - Nawabshah

Civil Hospital - Karachi

Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre - Karachi

Lyari General Hospital - Karachi

Indus Hospital - Karachi

Aga Khan Hospital - Karachi

Dow University of Health Sciences, Ojha - Karachi

SIUT - Karachi

Ziauddin Hospital - Karachi

PNS Shifa - Karachi

Chughtai Lab - Karachi

Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences - Hyderabad

Gims - Khairpur

District Health Offices (DHOs) all over the province

GB

In Gilgit-Baltistan, citizens can contact district health authorities who will come to their homes to collect samples

KP

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Police Services Hospital has been made the main centre for dealing with coronavirus cases In addition to these facilities, citizens can visit their nearest public tertiary healthcare centre orssss district headquarter hospital for screening.