An employee dilutes bird serum samples for the ELISA test for the detection of antibodies against the avian influenza virus at the Reference Laboratory of the World Organization for Animal Health in Campinas, Brazil, April 25, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS
LAHORE:
Amid flu outbreaks in various parts of the world, questions are being raised over the preparedness of Punjab’s healthcare sector to deal with emerging aggressive flu variants.
Despite growing concerns among health experts about so-called “super flu” strains and a seasonal rise in influenza cases, official response mechanisms in the province appear limited, fragmented and largely reactive.
Health sector sources revealed that Punjab health authorities were unclear about new influenza variants circulating globally, including the H3N2 strain, which has been linked to more severe respiratory symptoms in other countries.
No Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) government laboratories in Punjab perform influenza virus testing, a gap that undermines early detection and containment efforts.
According to officials, provincial health authorities do not have diagnostic kits to detect modern flu variants, including H3N2.
Even test kits for seasonal H1N1 influenza, considered the most common strain in Pakistan, would be out of stock.
The situation is complicated by reports that testing for seasonal and severe flu variants at the National Institute of Health (NIH), the country’s main public health laboratory, has also been suspended.
While testing and diagnostic capacity remains weak, vaccination efforts also face criticism. The Punjab government has not procured flu vaccines this season.
As a result, free or subsidized vaccination is not available in government hospitals, leaving low-income patients particularly vulnerable.
Health experts warn that the absence of a vaccination campaign during peak flu season could lead to avoidable complications.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Punjab has issued advisories focusing on seasonal H1N1 flu.
An official alert circulating warns of a possible rise in H1N1 cases and puts all districts of Punjab on high alert. The advisory directs government and private hospitals to ensure immediate isolation of suspected H1N1 patients, mandatory reporting of cases in a Disease Surveillance System and timely dispatch of samples to designated laboratories.
However, health experts argue that limiting official communication to H1N1 ignores the evolutionary nature of influenza viruses and the possibility of multiple strains circulating simultaneously. “Without testing, we are essentially blind,” said a doctor at a university hospital. “You can’t manage what you can’t diagnose.”
