All arrangements have been made at Torkham border to halt coronavirus via western border. This was stated by Deputy Commissioner, Khyber Mehmood Aslam Wazir while examining the facilities provided for preventing of Covid-19 at Torkham border and district headquarter hospital, Landi Kotal.

The official said that Torkham was one of the main entrances from Afghanistan to Pakistan where thousands of passengers crossed the border and therefore keeping in view the alarming situation across the world extra-ordinary measures had been adopted to halt spread of coronavirus in the country.

He added that no Covid-19 case had been detected in KP, however on the direction of central and provincial governments we conducted surveillance to trace those who had visited to Iran or China.

"We have locally developed a system through which approximately 1100 health workers who has been trained to create awareness among the locals about the fatal disease in addition with administering polio vaccine," DC Wazir said.

The official said that all pedestrians and transporters crossing the border into Pakistan were thoroughly examined and vigilance were conducted who had traveled Iran or China.

In case of suspension, they were taken to Pak-Afghan friendship hospital set up at zero point on Torkham the border that functions round the clock in addition with isolation wards and facilities had been managed in Landi Kotal Jamrud and Bara hospitals to tackle the affectees. He further said that so far screening of 0.260 million border crossers had been carried out at Torkham border.

Earlier, District Medical Officer (DMO) Khyber Tariq Hayat briefed the district administrative officer of the arrangements and said the health officials had been deployed in Pak-Afghan friendship hospital, Torkham in three shifts to obstruct coronavirus and beside provision of all medical instruments three ambulances had been provided to deal with unfavorable situation.

According to health department that so far six COVID-19 positive cases had been detected in Pakistan. It is to be mentioned here that more than 100,000 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus disease globally, with at least 3,015 deaths in China and 267 fatalities in other parts of the globe, most of them in Italy and Iran.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

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