A special plane from China carrying relief assistance and medical team to fight the coronavirus has arrived in Islamabad.
The special flight has also brought eight Chinese doctors who are specialists on the coronavirus, which causes the Covid-19 disease.
The doctors will be in Pakistan for two weeks and share with local healthcare specialists their experience and success in battling Covid-19 in China.
China’s assistance to Pakistan so far includes 12,000 test kits, 300,000 masks, 10 thousand protective suits, and $4mn to build an isolation hospital.
China’s Xinjiang government has also provided 50,000 masks each to the federal capital as well as to the Sindh government.
A considerable amount of donation from private sources from China has also arrived in Pakistan.
The Alibaba Foundation and the Jack Ma Foundation donated 50,000 test kits and 50mn face masks.
China also handed over two tonnes of masks, test kits, ventilators, medical protective clothes worth Rs67mn through Khunjerab Pass.
Pakistan-China relations have gained greater strength and depth under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and China’s President Xi Jinping.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has allowed Thai Airways to fly Pakistanis stranded in Bangkok back to the country.
Those Pakistanis will be brought to Islamabad via a special flight.
Health officials will ensure the returnees are screened.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, 175 passengers will be brought back to Pakistan.
The federal government’s March 21 move to suspend international flights into Pakistan till April 4 left many travellers stranded at airports across the globe.
At least 55 Pakistanis were stranded at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, while 54 passengers were refused boarding by airlines at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
In Thailand, ambassador Asim Iftikhar assisted the stranded passengers after discussions with the Thai authorities.
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