Arrangements made to shift pilgrims from Iran to Multan quarantine centre

MULTAN: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Punjab, Thursday finalised arrangements to shift the second batch of pilgrims arriving from Iran to Multan quarantine centre.

According to officials, the second batch is expected to arrive on Friday. At least one hundred CCTV cameras are installed at the quarantine centre. The Multan quarantine center is the country's largest treatment facility. All the members of the second batch will stay at Workers Welfare quarantine centre in industrial estate for 14 days, PDMA officials said. PDMA district officer Shahbaz Bukhari said 1,247 pilgrims in 33 buses are expected to reach Balochistan-Punjab border check-post at Rakhni on early Friday morning. All the pilgrims would swap inter provincial buses to Dera Ghazi Khan to Multan quarantine centre. Divisional commissioner Shanul Haq said the registration desk has been established at Multan quarantine centre and all the pilgrims would be allowed to shift after registration. The divisional administration has provided all facilities. A temporary hospital of 100 beds and five beds high dependency unit had been established at a quarantine center, he said. Deputy commissioner Amir Khatak said arrangements have been finalised to shift pilgrims arriving from Iran to Multan quarantine center while the staffers of the health department, Multan Metropolitan Corporation, have been posted at the centre. The district would host all the pilgrims at the quarantine centre, which has the capacity to accommodate 3,000 people.

The health department staff would reside in the boys’ campus building to perform duty round-the-clock, he said. Less than fifty years old staff is appointed at the quarantine centre. A foolproof security plan has been prepared, he maintained. The quarantine centre consists of 3,000 rooms, 62 blocs and each block has 16 flats and each flat consists three rooms, he said. Each pilgrim would be provided a separate room.

A separate isolation ward of 45 beds is also established. Each pilgrim would be provided soap, shaving kit, detergent, tissues, toothpaste, tooth brush, towel, comb and personal hygiene kit, he said. The city district administration would provide feeders, diapers and milk for children, he maintained. All the pilgrims would be provided with a meal thrice a day. The numbers of 233 employees have been posted looking after pilgrims. The city government has established 171 isolation rooms and 19 high dependency units, the DC said.

PHA removes illegal advertising hoardings: The enforcement team of Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) removed various illegal publicity boards and banners during a crackdown launched in the city here on Thursday. In line with special directives of PHA Director General Qamar Zaman Qaisarani, the crackdown has been started against the illegal hoardings to increase income of the department. The DG PHA said special teams have been formed for recovery of publicity fee from the defaulters. He said teams have been directed to continue crackdown without any discrimination in order to increase income of the department.