FM Qureshi discharged from hospital after 10 days following Covid-19 treatment

Published July 14, 2020
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had tested positive for the virus on July 3 and initially quarantined himself at home. — AFP/File
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had tested positive for the virus on July 3 and initially quarantined himself at home. — AFP/File

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said that he has been shifted home after being treated for the coronavirus and undergoing plasma therapy at Rawalpindi's Military Hospital (MH), but is yet to test negative.

Qureshi had tested positive for the virus on July 3 and quarantined himself after developing a slight fever. In a tweet, he had said that he felt "strong and energetic" and would continue his duties from home.

However, he was shifted to hospital the next day, July 4, according to his spokesperson.

In a statement on Tuesday, Qureshi said he had postponed all his meetings and conferences as a precautionary measure after experiencing initial symptoms of Covid-19.

"My condition started to gradually stabilise due to being tested immediately and the starting of the treatment soon after," he said, revealing that he was also injected plasma from recovered patients.

Examine: Plasma therapy for Covid-19: The hopes and the hype

The minister said he has now been shifted home and is feeling "a lot better". "My test samples have been taken again which Inshallah will return negative," he added.

He paid tribute to all the doctors and paramedical staff working on the frontlines of the battle against the coronavirus. He also thanked the medical staff at Military Hospital Rawalpindi for taking thorough care of him, as well as the well-wishers who prayed for his recovery.

Qureshi urged the citizens to "not panic", take precautions and contact medical experts without delay if they experience any symptoms.

Last Thursday, the foreign minister had dispelled rumours about his health after his Wikipedia profile was edited to falsely reflect that he had 'died' on July 4, saying "there was no truth to them" and that he was "doing well".

In a statement, Qureshi had said that "mischievous" elements had edited his profile on the site. "Many complications were created, and it caused distress to my loved ones and family members," he said, adding that he also started receiving phone calls.

Several politicians, including members of the ruling PTI, have been diagnosed with the virus over the past few months as it continues to spread in Pakistan. More than 254,000 people have tested positive across the country since the first case emerged on February 26 while more than 5,350 deaths have been reported.

Opinion

Editorial

Agriculture tax
Updated 16 Nov, 2024

Agriculture tax

Amendments made in Punjab's agri income tax law are crucial to make the system equitable.
Genocidal violence
16 Nov, 2024

Genocidal violence

A RECENTLY released UN report confirms what many around the world already know: that Israel has been using genocidal...
Breathless Punjab
16 Nov, 2024

Breathless Punjab

PUNJAB’s smog crisis has effectively spiralled out of control, with air quality readings shattering all past...
Last call
Updated 15 Nov, 2024

Last call

PTI should hardly be turning its "final" protest into a "do or die" occasion.
Mini budget talk
15 Nov, 2024

Mini budget talk

NO matter how much Pakistan’s finance managers try to downplay the prospect of a ‘mini budget’ to pull off a...
Diabetes challenge
15 Nov, 2024

Diabetes challenge

AMONGST the many public health challenges confronting Pakistan, diabetes arguably does not get the attention it...