The government of Balochistan has declared a health emergency in all the hospitals in the province. This decision was made because 44 people in Quetta got sick with the Congo fever, and one of them, Dr. Shukrullah, who graduated from Aga Khan University, sadly passed away. Many others are also at risk.
This disease, called Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), was first reported on November 3 in the intensive care unit of Provincial Sandeman Hospital. It has affected 112 people, including doctors, medical staff, and family members.
Once the lab results confirmed the virus, the health department and the caretaker government acted quickly. The most critical patients were sent to Karachi by air ambulance, and those with milder symptoms were taken by road.
The federal government also sent two healthcare professionals from the National Institute of Health Sciences to help the health department in Balochistan deal with the virus.
The caretaker Chief Minister of Balochistan, Ali Mardan Domki, said that the Sindh government and Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi, along with other major hospitals, were working together to provide the best medical care to the patients being moved to Karachi.
In a meeting with top officials to discuss the measures taken to fight the virus, Chief Minister Domki directed the finance department to release funds for regional blood centers and extend the services provided by public health laboratories. He stressed the importance of providing the best healthcare to those affected.
Chief Minister Domki also declared Dr. Shukrullah a martyr and asked the authorities to compensate his family as per the law. He also called on the livestock department to continue spraying insecticides on livestock.
