PESHAWAR: Health department will establish integrated diseases surveillance response laboratory network to ensure early detection of diseases and ensure prompt action for prevention of outbreaks.

Dr Shahid Yunis, the additional director-general health services of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, directed district headquarters (DHQs) hospitals and medical teaching institutions (MTIs) through an order to submit details about the existing situation of human resources, equipment andother stuff as part of assessment of lab facilities.

The medical superintendents of DHQs and directors of MTIs have been asked to submit the requested details to the department at the earliest.

The deputy director of public health, Dr Mussawir Manzoor, told Dawn that it was for the first time that a province in Pakistan was establishing integrated diseases surveillance response (IDSR) laboratory network that would process samples about different diseases and would respond quickly.

He said that currently all the districts were sending samples for detection of mpox, Covid-19 and measles etc to Public Health Reference Laboratory (PHRL) at Khyber Medical University that consumed time. After completionof the networking process by end of the year, labs would be established at divisional level for prompt diagnosis of epidemics, he said.

Dr Mussawir said that PHR L would act as umbrella to supervise the process of training of staff and make it sure that the new outlets worked as per the guidelines of International Health Regulations (IHR) of World Health Organisation.

`At a later stage, we have planned to set up such facilities in the districts with burden of diseases,` he added.

He said that PHRL was also established in 2017 as per IHR`s guidelines at Khyber Medical University that led to boost in surveillance because of timely detection of diseases.

`Before the establishment of PHRL, we used to send samples to National Institute ofHealth (NIH), Islamabad, and results were made available in weeks because the latter received cases from the entire country. Now, PHRL has been conducting tests for more than 40 diseases declared modifiable by WHO,` he said.

Dr Mussawir said that after setting up PHRL, the department was able to detect diseases at early stages and avoid outbreaks. The initiative supported by UK Health Security Agency was meant to strengthen public health laboratory network for timely detection, prevention and response to outbreaks, he said.

He that the network would help the department in early detection and testing of priority infectious ailments across the province in addition to providing strategic guidance and expertise to reinforce microbi-ology laboratory capacity and alignment with provincial and national health security objectives.

He said that software would be developed to connect all laboratories with PHRL to monitor real time data for prevention of public health issues.

`We are now starting mapping of laboratories to ascertain needs about human resources and equipment,` he added.

Dr Mussawir said that department had trained personnel and infrastructure but there would be a need for imparting training to staff to make sure that most tests were conducted at local level. `As per plan, the department will also take on board private laboratories to further build up the investigative aspect of diseases and ensure prevention, he added.