Pakistan possesses testing facility for 75-days: Gen Afzal

Islamabad: Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal said Pakistan has the testing facility available for 75-days to diagnose Corona virus or COVID-19 pandemic disease.

Addressing media after receiving medical equipment and goods from Chengdu, China at Islamabad International Airport along with Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, he said it was invalid to narrate that existing number of tests conducted were less than the demand or capacity.

“The present 3,000 to 4,000 tests conducted per day has been done as per the measures of the provinces that can be increased further and is up to the provincial governments. We are increasing our present capacity for holding tests of COVID-19. Pakistan has the capability to hold 30,000-40,000 tests per day.”
Chairman NDMA said there was no shortage of testing kits and machines required to contain COVID-19.
He added that the medical equipment imported from China would be provided to all of the provinces. “NDMA has started supplying the medical equipment to the provinces on its own with the assistance of Pakistan Army.”

General Afzal said the doctors and paramedics were the frontline soldiers of the country in its fight against COVID-19, adding, “We assure our doctors and medical staff that they will not be left alone in this fight.”
He mentioned that in order to further improve the capacity of testing laboratories every lab would have 2-3 bio-labs.

He informed that all sorts of hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had received medical equipment whereas hospitals in Punjab would receive protective equipment tomorrow as the medical goods were released. “The consignment of medical has been prepared for Sindh and would be provided soon.”
However, the medical goods and equipment imported from China was brought through PIA’s 777 aircraft from Chengdu comprising 22 tonnes of supplies.
The equipment reached included 59 ventilators and 936 kilograms of surgical masks. It also had protective gowns alongwith 1720kg of cloth used in preparing masks and gowns.

There were also gloves and ready-made protective suits. Thermometers and safety glasses were also included in the equipment.