Coronavirus: 14 laboratories listed for screening tests in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has released the list of 14 laboratories for the screening tests of coronavirus across Pakistan, ARY News reported on Monday.

Following the announcement of Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, the government has listed 14 laboratories for COVID-19 screening tests across the country to facilitate the nationals. The names of the labs are given below:

1. National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad
2. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP),
3. Punjab AIDS Lab Lahore
4. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital Lahore
5. Nishtar Hospital Multan
6. Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi
7. Civil Hospital Karachi
8. Ojha Institute Karachi
9. Indus Hospital
10. Punjab Health Laboratory Peshawar
11. Fatima Jinnah Hospital Quetta
12. Mobile Diagnostic Unit Taftan
13. Muzaffarabad Medical Science Institute
14. DHQ Hospital Gilgit

Earlier in the day, Dr Zafar Mirza, while underscoring the need for coordinated efforts against novel coronavirus (COVID-19), said that the government was taking all-out measures to deal with the deadly virus.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Dr Zafar Mirza said that there is no need to panic about the novel Coronavirus and urged the citizens to show responsible behaviour and follow the safety instructions issued by the government.

The special assistant said that 14 laboratories in major cities of the country have been provided with diagnostic kits by the government that will conduct free tests of people. Prime Minister Imran Khan is personally monitoring and supervising the situation, he added.

Zafar Mirza said that the government will spray disinfectants in all the skyscrapers across the country to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.