LAHORE: The Institute of Public Health (IPH) has prepared Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) on Monkeypox in 15 days.

These SOPs have been prepared in the light of National Institute of Health (NIH) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The SOPs have been sent to the Health Department.

Dean Institute of Public Health Prof Dr Zarfashan Tahir said that the Health Department will notify these SoPs and share them with all the stakeholders for monkey pox diagnosis, treatment, case management, sample collection of suspected patients so that the concerned people of all the hospitals and other institutions can get awareness about taking samples, decontamination of the ward after the discharge of the patient from the hospital and perform the case management as per the set standards.

Dr. Zarfashan stated that the SOPs consist of 138 pages, in the preparation of which the public health experts of the institute have given their input with professionalism.

The efforts aimed at developing the SOPs have been acknowledged by the Ministers and Secretaries of the Specialized Healthcare and Primary Healthcare Departments.

She further said that the government has designated IPH as the focal institute for monkey pox and a disease warning and alert centre has been established in the institute.

Training was imparted to the staff from government hospitals, Rescue-1122, Airport Health Department, Border Health Services Pakistan and other related institutions. About 300 health professionals have so far been trained.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023