Another feather in a cap of a Pakistani company for successfully manufacturing a world-class most economical “face shield” for school goers and kids to protect against the deadly coronavirus.
In a first, Pakistan gets EU certificate to manufacture face shields as 4000 new cases emerge https://t.co/VNKWcnOx45
— GVS (@GVS_News) June 3, 2020
Zia, designer of the shield here on Wednesday in a briefing to President SAARC Chamber and Chairman United Business Group Iftikhar Ali Malik said that prior to designing of shields he held a series of result-oriented consultations with a panel of leading medical professionals, scores of principals and headmasters/headmistress of the provincial metropolis to understand the psyche of the students so that they feel comfortable while wearing shields in class and their facial impressions should also be clearly visible to teachers.
Read more: In a first, Pakistan gets EU certificate to manufacture face shields as 4000 new cases emerge
He furthered stated that “our company is first in Pakistan which was awarded European Union “CE” certification for “Face Shields“ to manufacture and export. “SPEL” the manufacturer has been assessed and found to comply with the EU PPE regulations.
Iftikhar Ali Malik congratulated the company for developing the best quality face shield to meet the local demands and hoped it will help contain the spread of deadly pandemic when schools reopens on September 15 across the country.
Read more: When is Punjab going to reopen schools?
Pakistanis to participate in clinical trials of Chinese coronavirus vaccine
In another development, the National Institute of Health (NIH) has obtained approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) for Phase III clinical trial of coronavirus vaccine.
According to media reports, the NIH said in a statement that it has obtained “the formal approval from DRAP for Phase III Clinical Trial of Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Vaccine Adenovirus Type 5 vector (Ad5-nCoV) developed by CanSinoBio and Beijing Institute of Biotechnology China [BIB].”
“It is a multi-country multi-centre clinical trial which CanSinoBio is already conducting in China, Russia, Chile, Argentina and will shortly start in Saudi Arabia. The principal investigator of the multi-centre clinical trial in Pakistan is NIH executive director Maj Gen Aamer Ikram.
“AJM Pharma CEO Adnan Hussain signed an agreement with the NIH last month for collaborating on the phase III clinical trial of CanSinoBIO Ad5-nCoV in Pakistan.
Read more: Has DRAP allowed doctors to use Dexamethasone to treat COVID-19 patients?
The study will be conducted in prestigious medical research centres in the country – Aga Khan Medical University, Karachi; Indus Hospital, Karachi; Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, Lahore; Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, and UHS Lahore.”
A member of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Scientific Task Force on Covid-19 revealed that in the first phase 200 volunteers over the age of 18 will participate. These volunteers will be from diverse ethnic groups to ensure the vaccine is reliable for use by people from all backgrounds.
Read more: Potential COVID-19 vaccine secures 5 billion+ pre-orders
“The trial will commence from next week which will be participated by 200 volunteers, all over 18 years of age. We have selected volunteers from various ethnic groups to analyse their results. I believe Karachi is the most appropriate city as people from all backgrounds are settled there,” the committee member said.
On March 24, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had constituted a committee — Scientific Task Force on Covid-19 — which was headed by renowned scientist Prof Dr Attaur Rehman.
Online Int’l News with additional input by GVS News Desk