There is need to strengthen health system in Pakistan: Mirza

• Special assistant says Pakistan left its students in China and they were well taken care of by the Chinese government.
• Care is an important part of handling an epidemic, where you need timely and expert management of patients: Zafar.

(Karachi) Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has said there is a need to strengthen health system in the country to deal with future epidemics, said

Addressing a briefing for Chinese doctors at National Institute of Health in Islamabad on Sunday, He said, “We are thankful to China for its assistance, even when it is going through a difficult situation itself.”

Mirza said by taking the right measures at the right time, even a country like China, with a population of over 1.4 billion, could make it possible that not a single case moved across the border. “This will go down in history,” he remarked.

He maintained that so far, Pakistan has reported 1,516 cases and none of them are from China. “This was only possible because of the coordination and cooperation between the governments of China and Pakistan,” he said.

The special assistant highlighted that the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan ensured that they quarantined themselves for 14 days in Pakistan and this was the reason why Pakistan doesn’t have any cases from China.

Zafar pointed out Pakistan left its students in China and they were well taken care of by the Chinese government. “Today the coronavirus is spreading in Pakistan and the same students are thanking the Government of Pakistan for not evacuating them.”

He said the government appreciates that the team of Chinese doctors comprising of medical professionals from different specialties have reached the country. “We need expertise that you bring and we can tremendously benefit from your presence, especially when we are also starting a major national programme to train health professionals in critical care.”

He said the critical care is an important part of handling an epidemic, where you need timely and expert management of patients who are critically ill. “It’s the difference between life and death.”

"We have almost finalised our plan and I would like my team planning this two-day crash training to meet with your critical care experts and see if there is any input or advice they can give," he said.

“Our challenge as health professionals and lawmakers is how we use this attention and turn this into an opportunity to start thinking in the long term about building our health systems in such a way that we are strong enough, relatively strong enough, for when we have these kind of problems again,” he said.

Mirza said the outbreak has shown us that we must build health security infrastructure in the country.

Earlier, a group of eight Chinese doctors who are specialists in coronavirus arrived in Pakistan in a chartered plane to lend their expertise as the country battles the deadly virus.

The doctors were received by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the airbase. China's special plane also carried medical supplies to fight coronavirus in the country. These doctors will remain in Pakistan for two weeks.