NDMA to recruit lab technicians to overcome workforce shortage

Islamabad: Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal Saturday said the authority was going to recruit 100 lab technicians having expertise in molecular biology in BPS-14 to overcome shortage of skilled workforce in testing laboratories.

Addressing a media briefing with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza and SAPM on National Security Division Moeed Yusuf, he said the National Institute of Health (NIH) had informed NDMA that there was shortage of trained workforce in testing laboratories.

He added that on order to overcome this shortcoming, NDMA using its powers under an article of NDMA Act would float an advertisement in that regard.

“We will offer 4-6 months contract to these lab technicians and if this experiment goes successful then it will help overcome laboratories gaps for testing patients,” he added.

He was briefing the media over initiatives made by NDMA for procuring medical equipment, testing system logistics and donations received to contain coronavirus outbreak.

The chairman NDMA said NIH and NDMA were collectively working out to boost number of labs existing in Pakistan.

In Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), we will final our plan to set up the facility as there were machines and relevant equipment available to fulfill the task.

Lieutenant General Afzal added that NDMA was going to provide testing kits and machines to three healthcare institutions in Karachi including SIUT, JPNC and Indus Hospital to set up testing labs.

As Indus Hospital would primarily operate its testing facility in JPNC so two laboratories would be established at JPNC, he added.