Advisory group notified for health emergency

PESHAWAR: The competent authority has notified a Provincial Technical Advisory Group (PTAG) and also framed its terms of reference for the health emergency of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

An official statement said the group would have KP Director General Health Services as its chairperson, DMS-11 Corps/ Representation of DMS 11 Corps as member, additional DG Health Services as secretary. Other members include provincial NSTOP officer, Provincial Technical Officer FELTP, Consultant for Infectious Diseases Dr Amjad Mohboob, Director Accident and Emergency at LRH Peshawar Dr Hamid Shehzad, Director Public Health Reference Laboratory, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Director IPHSS, Khyber Medical University, Director Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU), representatives of World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF and other officers of DGHS offices.

The terms of reference include the provision of expert technical advice and implementation plan/direction for the preparedness and control strategies for the coronavirus outbreak by ensuring cross-sectional representation and linkages between multiple sectors, and assessment of the status of implementation on regular basis.

It would also suggest course correction where required, to review outcomes of the activities mentioned in the plan or as recommended by concerned institutions/authorities, to identify gaps in resources and suggest solutions for filling the gaps, to render advice and report on any technical matter referred to it by the PDSC, to recommend to the PHC adoption of appropriate policies contemporarily to dealing with COVID-19 and provide input and guidance to the PDSC and PHC on technical matters related to COVID-19.