Punjab CM announces one month’s additional salary for medics treating Covid-19 patients

LAHORE: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar presided over a meeting at his office here Monday to review latest coronavirus situation in the province.

The meeting was attended by Corps Commander Lahore Lt-Gen Majid Ehsan, DG Rangers Punjab Maj-Gen Muhammad Amir Majeed, Chief Secretary, IG Police, SMBR, P&D Chairman, ACS (Home) and civil and military officials.

The chief minister told the meeting that doctors and health professionals engaged in the treatment of coronavirus patients would be given one month's additional salary. The Punjab government will also give incentives to the heirs of doctors, health professionals and employees died during the anti-coronavirus campaign under Shuhada Package, he added. He pointed out that Punjab is the only province where The Punjab Infectious Diseases Control and Prevention Ordinance, 2020 had been enforced which helped the administration and health department to take steps for controlling the coronavirus.

The chief minister stated that Rs12 billion has been given to the health department. Section 144 is enforced in the province and very sensitive areas have been locked down. Similarly, SOPs have been devised to trace the people remained in contact with the affected patients, he said.

Meanwhile, new testing labs are being set up. The chief minister said that wheat harvesting will start in April and the Punjab government has also increased wheat quota for the flour mills. On the other side, he announced that 5,000 metric ton wheat was being given to the KP Province daily. The wheat will be procured from farmers at the rate of Rs1,400 per maund, he added.

Corps Commander Lt-Gen Majid Ehsan assured of continuing full cooperation to the civil government and both political and military leadership decided to strictly implement government’s steps for overcoming the pandemic. The meeting reiterated that the best healthcare facilities would be provided to the patients. Steps relating to treatment facilities for the coronavirus patients, food security and food supply chain were also reviewed in detail.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the chief minister said that timely steps had been taken to deal with the coronavirus and added that PTI-led government had announced the best package worth billions of rupees for providing relief to the daily wage earners.

The CM maintained that coronavirus was a collective challenge to the whole world and regretted that opposition was engaged in politics over this sensitive issue. Regrettably, the opposition tried of point-scoring over coronavirus pandemic and its jangling discord over this important issue is deplorable. The negative role being played by the opposition in this hour of trial will not be remembered in good words, he maintained. Usman Buzdar maintained that opposition was engaged in hollow sloganeering as it had not done anything practical.

Today, the nation needs unity as the national debt can be retired through collective efforts. Prime Minister Imran Khan has always stressed for taking collective action and the nation will surely win the battle against coronavirus under his leadership, concluded the chief minister.