Pakistan’s Health ministry on Saturday, May 28 warned that the country has no facility for diagnostic tests for the fast-spreading monkeypox outbreak in Pakistan. Officials expressed concerns as Islamabad’s Federal Ministry of Health, and National Institute of Health mulled that there could be suspected cases of monkeypox emerging, according to ANI. Pakistan’s government has been trying to procure testing kits for the National Institute of Health, Islamabad (NIH). But the samples will have to be sent abroad for testing in case of an emergency.
Pakistan’s health ministry officials are considering declaring a patient “a suspected case” by examining their symptoms due to the lack of testing kits. Aga Khan University and other health organisations have been struggling to procure the kits, Islamabad’s geo tv reported. Oddly, Pakistan’s health experts said that the monkeypox virus can be tested through a PCR machine as it is “similar to the diagnostic tests for respiratory disease COVID-19.” The health ministry also declared that there are no suspected cases of monkeypox reported in Pakistan yet despite the lack of testing kits to confirm the same.
“The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Islamabad clarifies that NO case of Monkeypox, has yet been diagnosed in Pakistan. The news circulating on social media about monkeypox cases is incorrect. The situation is being closely monitored by the health authorities,” Pakistan’s NIH wrote on Twitter.
WHO advises countries against travel restrictions to halt monkeypox spread
World Health Organisation (WHO) has also recently advised the countries not to impose travel restrictions in view of the outbreak of the monkeypox. WHO director for Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness, Sylvie Briand said at a briefing that they don’t recommend travel bans or restrictions and that countries have to keep communicating about all updates pertaining to the monkeypox virus and whatever measures they are taking up to counter potential outbreaks. She further elaborated, that countries must adequately respond to the spread of monkeypox by tracking and isolating unwell individuals. Furthermore, she recommended that the countries must take appropriate health safety measures now in order to “quickly contain this.” Thus far, at least 300 cases of monkeypox have been registered in 20 countries.