The provincial health department and health and medical services department of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) have directed the heads of major public sector hospitals of the city to establish or make functional ‘Isolation Wards’ in their hospitals for treatment of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF).
Talking to PPI, KMC Health and Medical Services Senior Director Dr Muhammad Ali Abbasi said a 40-bed Isolation Ward has been established at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital following the death of cattle handler from Congo fever in Karachi. He said training of medical staff had already been started in the city to deal with the Congo fever patients effectively in KMC-run hospitals.
He said a public awareness drive would also be conducted throughout the city, especially around cattle markets to prevent people from catching Congo virus. He said teams of veterinary doctors had also been deputed in cattle markets. He said fumigation campaign was also launched around cattle markets to prevent cattle handlers and citizens from the Congo fever.
He informed that health guideline for prevention of Congo virus was also issued including some points for inspection of animals, proper sites should be allocated for animals markets, inspections of animals should be made at toll plaza or at point of entry into the city, so that other healthy animals can avoid this disease. Moreover, there should be proper sanitation at the site of animals markets by concerned departments, and citizens must cover their faces and hands during visits to the animal markets.
He further said use of insect repellents is necessary to save animal and their handlers from ticks, there should be proper drinking water supply to cattle markets, veterinary camps should be placed at different and prominent places, serious disease outbreaks have occurred in the past in hospitals while treating patients with CCHF so medical staff should also take adequate precautions while treating these patients and contaminated needles, surgical instruments and body waste materials should be safely disposed of using appropriate decontamination procedures.
Director Health Services, Karachi, Dr Shakoor Abbasi, when contacted, said that the isolation wards had already been established in the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Civil Hospital Karachi and Sindh Government Qatar Hospital Orangi Town for treatment of Congo and other viral fever cases.
