'Pakistan has enough stock of anti-malaria drug to export'

ISLAMABAD: Director General (DG) National Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Network (NHEPRN) Dr Amjad Mahmood on Wednesday said that Pakistan has enough stock of the anti-malaria drug and could export it, ARY NEWS reported.

Speaking during programme ‘Power Play’, Dr Amjad Mahmood said that any decision to export the drug could only be taken after approval from Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP).

He said that research was undergoing on effectiveness of the anti-malaria drug and Pakistan should extend help towards the world in time of the pandemic.

Dr Amjad said that initially there was a shortage of personal protective equipment but now its supplies have started to flow towards the medics performing their duties.

“Supplies of the protective equipment have witnessed improvement due to direct supply of it to the hospitals from NDMA,” he said.

The DG NHEPRN said that one of their staff member tested positive for COVID-19 and since then all staff including him under went the screening and test process.

He said that people in Wuhan implemented the lockdown, achieving desired results as the city has now resumed its activities.

On the contrary, he said that people in New York and Italy did not acted on the advice from authorities and had to bear its consequences.

He also asked the masses to avoid using N-95 masks and said it was only for the use of those in isolation wards including medics and coronavirus patients.