LAHORE: The Institute of Public Health (IPH) has sought nominations of health professionals from the government hospitals of the province to train them for the diagnosis, treatment and case management of the people infected with the monkeypox (mpox).

The instructions were issued in the light of the directions issued by the Punjab governor who had assigned special task to the IPH for the prevention and controlof the disease and training of health professionals.

Presiding over a meeting here on Thursday, IPH Dean Prof Dr Zarfashan Tahir has sought nominations from the government hospitals across Punjab to appoint them as focal persons for their respective institutes for mpox management.

The representatives from both the health departments, PITB, Rescue 1122, World Health Organisation and the directorate general of health services, Punjab, also participated in the meeting.

Prof Zarfashan said the nominated health professionals would be trained for treatment, diagnosis and case management of people infected with the virus on May 2.

She told the participants that in the light of the orders of the provincial government, the institute will prepare training modules on surveillance, health education, monitoring and diagnosis of mpox and establish a disease monitoring centre in IPH within a week.

The centre will review the situation on a daily basis and issue alerts. The institute will also provide training to the staff of Civil Aviation Authority, Rescue 1122 and other related departments about the disease.

The IPH dean said arrangements had been completed in all hospitals for the treatment of expected patients and isolation wards were also functional as per the instructions of the government.

However, she said, people should not get panicked, take precautions, avoid going in crowded places and make sure to use face mask and wash hands with soap to avoid spreading the virus.

Prof Tahir asked the management of all hospitals if any suspected case is reported, it should be brought to the notice of the higher authorities so that timely case management could be ensured.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Healthcare Commission directed all private healthcare establishments to refer suspected cases of mpox to the selected/identified public sector hospitals instead of admitting such patients to their respective institutes.

They have also been instructed to make sure that on the identification of such cases, they will immediately refer less than 15-year-old patients to the Children`s Hospital and above 15 years to the Lahore General Hospital.