Two out of four virus patients tested negative

F.P. Report

LAKKI MARWAT: Two out of four confirmed Coronavirus affected patients were tested negative, spreading a wave of jubilation among local people especially health workers and administration officials. On April 4, four members of Tableeghi Jamat staying in mosques at Mamakhel and Land Ahmadkhel villages were admitted to Isolation ward set up in the district headquarters hospital Tajazai after they were tested positive for Covid-19. They included Nasir Khan and Abdus Salim, residents of Loralai (Baluchistan), Muhammad Khan of Mianwali (Punjab) and Asmatullah of Wanda Kalan (Lakki Marwat).

The district administration had put both rural localities under complete lock down besides tasking municipal authorities to spray disinfectants in mosques and adjacent areas on daily basis. As per standard operating procedure (SOP), the test for Covid-19 of affected patients was repeated on April 11 and result shared with administration and health department revealed that two out of four patients including Nasir Khan of Loralai (Baluchistan) and Muhammad Khan of Mianwali (Punjab) have been recovered as they were tested negative for Coronavirus”, said public health coordinator Dr Hidayatullah Khan.

The health official said that initial result of remaining two affected patients was inconclusive and the samples collected from them had been sent again for laboratory examination. He said that 13 foreigners and a local suspect were tested negative for Covid-19. The official said that 15 foreigners had had come to the district in connection with Tableegh (preaching) and they were restricted to the mosques in Khoidadkhel and Haqdadabad localities of Lakki city.

On April 10, their samples were submitted to the Public Health Reference Lab KMU Peshawar and of them 13 foreigners and a local suspect were tested negative for Coronavirus as per result shared with local authorities”, maintained the official, adding that samples will be recollected from inconclusive suspects (both foreigners) for laboratory examination. Local residents expressed jubilation over the recovery of affected patients and said that sincere and strenuous efforts on part of administration and health department officials would soon make the district Coronavirus free.

A social activist Muhammad Younas Hasrat said that timely action by all stakeholders after detection of Covid-19 cases not only helped prompt recovery of affected patients but also saved residents of the district from being infected by pandemic. He said that the district administration with support of area people would succeed in defeating Coronavirus disease. A trader Ishfaq said that recovery of virus hit members of Tableeghi Jamat was the good news from the people of entire district.

“The strategy to restrict foreigners who had come to the district in connection with Tableegh (preaching) to the mosques also proved successful as 13 among them were tested negative”, he maintained. He asked the administration to ease lockdown after recovery of affected patients.

Meanwhile, Coronavirus free members of Tableeghi Jamat were discharged from the isolation ward of DHQ hospital in a dignified manner. Officials of district administration, health department and Pakistan army were present on the occasion. Deputy commissioner Abdul Haseeb along with Lt Col Shafique, assistant commissioner Nadir Shahzad Khan, DHO Dr Rahim Khattak and MS Dr Halim Khattak garlanded them in a farewell ceremony. They also presented flower wreath to them.

The members of Tableeghi Jamat thanked the officials of local administration, doctors and paramedics for taking their great care in isolation ward. They said that they had accumulated the love of health providers, other government officials and people of district during their isolation stay in hospital.

Meanwhile, eight employees of education and local government and rural development departments have been suspended from service for showing negligence in collection of data of lockdown affected families. Following the directives of provincial government deputy commissioner Abdul Haseeb had constituted committees at union council level to collect data of affected families. Lakki city and other parts of the district are under lockdown since last month as part of measures to stop prevalence of pandemic.

The lockdown hit hundreds of thousands families especially of daily wagers, labourers, small vendors and those living under poverty line in the backward southern district. Teachers and secretaries of village councils were made part of those committees to ensure transparency in collection of data of genuine deserving families.

As the data of affected families was submitted to the office of local deputy commissioner the officials of district administration launched scrutiny process to verify the same and let deserving families to get financial assistance announced by Prime Minister of Pakistan.

“During scrutiny process it revealed that undeserving individuals have been included in the lists in violation of guidelines and standard operating procedure (SOP)”, claimed assistant commissioner Nadir Shahzad Khan. He said that the lists of affected families in village councils Mash Mastikhani, Dabak Mandrakhel, Wanda Amir and Nar Abu Samand Begukhel submitted by committees contained the names of undeserving persons. Nadir Shahzad said that the administration forwarded the names of negligent and inefficient officials to concerned departments with directions to take action against them.

After fulfilling formalities the local government and rural development department assistant director suspended from service four village council secretaries including Halimullah, Muhammad Iqbal, Dil Nawaz and Irfanullah. The primary schoolteachers who have been suspended from service include Muhammad Rasheed, Manzoor Ahmad, Noor Aslam and Barkatullah.