A patient with mpox left the Islamabad airport unchecked, says Qasim Ali Shah
DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Syed Qasim Ali Shah, Minister of Health for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has expressed grave concerns regarding the detection of a fifth Mpox case in the province.
In a video message, he criticized the negligence at Islamabad International Airport, where a confirmed Mpox patient was able to exit without undergoing proper health screening.
Minister Shah questioned the adequacy of surveillance measures at the airport, stating, “It is alarming that a patient with Mpox left the country’s largest airport unchecked.
This raises concerns about the potential number of undetected mpox cases traveling to different parts of the country.”
He emphasized that KP’s stringent surveillance and screening measures have ensured that no Mpox cases have gone undetected in the province.
Mr Shah urged federal authorities to take immediate action to address the negligence and strengthen health screening measures at airports to prevent further spread of the disease.
The patient, who traveled from Islamabad, was diagnosed the next day, thanks to the province’s proactive approach.
Minister Shah urged the federal government to take responsibility and implement a robust screening system at Islamabad International Airport to prevent the spread of the virus.
In his video message, the Health Minister highlighted that over 66,000 people have been screened at various entry points in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Out of 17 suspected Mpox cases, five have been confirmed so far, with the fifth case being reported and confirmed today.
Providing details about the latest patient, the minister revealed that the 33-year-old individual arrived in Pakistan on September 7 via Islamabad International Airport after traveling from a Gulf country.
According to a health department statement, the patient then traveled to Peshawar and was referred to Khyber Teaching Hospital from a private clinic.
The hospital’s medical team collected samples and sent them to the Public Health Reference Lab, which confirmed the presence of the Mpox virus today.
The patient has been quarantined at home in Lower Dir, where he is under the District Health Officer (DHO) surveillance.
