Pakistan offers field hospital, doctors to China to combat coronavirus

Pakistan on Friday offered to send a field hospital and a team of doctors to China to help fight coronavirus that has killed over 200 people and infected thousands of others. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had a telephone conversation with China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and conveyed his condolences on the loss of lives.

"On behalf of the government of Pakistan, the Foreign Minister extended the offer of sending a field hospital to China as well as sending a group of doctors to the brotherly people of China to assist them in the recovery efforts," the Foreign Office said. Qureshi also thanked China for helping Pakistani students in Wuhan.

Wang, on behalf of Premier Li Keqiang, conveyed a special message of gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan for Pakistan's support and solidarity with the Chinese people and thanked Qureshi for Pakistan's offer. The Pakistani students in China were being treated "like our own", Wang said, adding that China was doing everything to ensure their safety, health and well-being.

The death toll in China's coronavirus epidemic spiked to 213 and total infections reached 9,692, the government said on Friday as the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak that has spread to more than a dozen countries, including India, as a global health emergency. About 20 countries, including India, the UK, US, South Korea, Japan and France, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China.