Usman Buzdar sets up cabinet committee on coronavirus

LAHORE: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Bazdar has set up a cabinet committee headed by Provincial Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare Raja Basharat to further strengthen the steps against coronavirus across the province.

Other members of the committee include the Punjab finance minister, minister for industries and commerce, chief secretary, senior member of Board of Revenue, additional chief secretary Home, IG, secretaries of department of primary health, information, finance, specialised health, P&D and local government, Lahore division commissioner and PDMA DG.

According to the notification, the committee will coordinate with the federal and international agencies to fight coronavirus, and will supervise hospitals and the health facilities to ensure diagnosis of coronavirus patients, their isolation and treatment.

It will ensure provision of required testing kits, medical equipment and other facilities to hospitals along with arranging training of medical staff and provide staff at the required locations.

In addition, the committee will also oversee a massive awareness campaign among the masses to prevent infection of Covid 19. Besides ensuring uninterrupted and food supply throughout the province, it will ensure the implementation of social distancing and limited mobility of citizens according to the government announcements.

The cabinet committee will convene a review meeting on a daily basis and forward the report to the chief minister. The primary health secretary, also the secretary of the committee, will provide logistic and administrative support to the committee.