The outbreak of the Ebola virus has worried the international community. This is the most deadly virus to date and scientists are still struggling to find a viable cure for this virus. Countries are taking all the necessary measures to protect their citizens. Pakistan is also making efforts in securing any possible Ebola outbreak in the country. Considering the health related services in Pakistan, an Ebola outbreak will prove to be catastrophic for Pakistan if not prevented. Airport staff has been given training to deal with the Ebola situation. Passengers are being asked to fill in a medical form to state their medical condition before entry.
Passengers with high temperatures are isolated at once to ascertain if the cause of a high temperature is something other than Ebola. One such passenger, a resident of Mansehra, has been contained at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, upon observing his symptoms. He was returning from Liberia. Senior doctor, Prof Tasneem Ahsan found the body temperature normal upon examination, but the patient’s blood samples have still been dispatched for testing. Pakistan lacks medical facilities to deal with high risk situations and also lacks the medical technology required to test viruses of such types. In this case also, the sample had to be sent to Cairo, the WHO headquarters for Eastern Mediterranean Region.
A team from the UN mission visited Pakistan to assess the preventive strategies put in place to ward of Ebola. It also assessed the laboratory facilities to check if Pakistan had the capacity to test for Ebola. The mission however expressed its satisfaction relative to all the arrangements, but should the Pakistan government be satisfied with their statement. Upgradation of health facilities and the virology department of Pakistan is a necessity. New viruses and diseases are becoming more frequent which needs more preparations.