Iran ready to build virus test camps for Afghan refugees

KABUL (Pajhwok): Officials say government employees are being tested for prevention of coronavirus spread and that Iran is ready to test Afghan refugees returning from the neighboring country.

A total of 21 positive coronavirus cases have so far detected in Afghanistan, all in people returning from Iran.

Public prosperity and international affairs commissions of the Meshrano Jirga or upper house of Parliament held an extraordinary meeting with a number of government officials on controlling COVID-19 in the country.

Members of the commission expressed their concern over the virus outbreak in Afghanistan and demanded serious measures from the government towards fighting the pandemic.

They said Afghan refugees were forcibly deported from Iran, a country with high number of virus infections, and the Afghan government has no measures on the ground.

Sayed Hussain Alami Balkhi, refugees and repatriation minister, said that Afghan refugees from Iran were not deported but they returned fearing COVID-19.

He said the Iranian government had asked Afghanistan to build camps for Afghan refugees inside Iran for testing their refugees before allowing them to return to Afghanistan.

Balkhi said he had shared the issue with the government for taking further steps.

The virus would widely spread in the country if preventive measures were not taken, he said, adding that the testing device used on the country’s borders could not show primary phases of the virus infections.

Dr. Basharmal Noormal, general director of public health institute, talking to today’s session of Meshrano Jirga, said that the Ministry of Public Health had no budget related and all equipment and tools used for controlling coronavirus would arrive next week.

He said the MoPH has dedicated Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Jamhuriat Hospital and Jinnah Hospital in Kabul for suspected coronavirus patients.

Noormal hoped the virus would be controlled with the weather gets warm in the country.

Shiwai Sharq, deputy information and culture minister, said that the number of people infected with the virus would increase if precautionary measures were not taken.

He said that the Committee for Dealing with Coronavirus, had decided to deploy health teams on entrances to government departments from tomorrow, Tuesday, for testing employees.

He also said that collective eating and electronic attendance had been stopped in government organs.

The goods being imported to the country should also be quarantined for 14 days under sunlight and disinfected before supplied to the market, he said.

Mds/ma