QUETTA: In view of rising Congo virus cases, the Balochistan government has imposed a ban on private slaughterhouses in Quetta, declaring a health emergency in the province.
The decisions were taken in a meeting convened by Caretaker Chief Minister Ali Mardan Domki, highlighting the gravity of the situation and revealing a total of 44 reported cases
of the Congo virus in the province.
The meeting slapped a temporary ban on private slaughterhouses in Quetta for a period of two weeks under Section 144, ordering relocation of animal slaughtering activities to designated slaughterhouses situated away from urban areas.
The provincial livestock department received instructions to promptly initiate the disinfection process in all cattle markets, while divisional commissioners, district health officers (DHOs), and livestock officers were instructed to monitor the situation closely.
The CM said that initial evidence points to the virus originating from a patient in Harnai at the Civil Hospital, prompting the sealing of the affected ward and comprehensive disinfection measures across various departments.
Furthermore, two more healthcare workers infected with the Congo virus are scheduled for immediate transfer to Karachi via air ambulance.
The caretaker provincial government posthumously honoured the doctor who lost his life to the Congo virus as a martyr, extending benefits to his bereaved family.
