CM Mahmood Khan wants corona-testing labs on war-footing

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Saturday directed the Health Department to take steps on war-footing to establish corona testing labs at all divisional level across the province.

He was chairing a meeting of Health, Relief and Home departments to review the overall corona-related situation in the province and the measures taken by the provincial government in this regard, said a handout. “We are facing an unprecedented emergency situation these days and the prevailing situation demands out of the box solutions and measures to cope with it;” the chief minister remarked. Mahmood Khan also directed the district administrations and the staff on duty at the isolation and quarantine centres to adopt the standard operating procedures (SOPs) so they could be protected and the individuals quarantined be facilitated to the maximum level. He said that flaws and weaknesses on the part of government departments rightly pointed by the media should be addressed forthwith to facilitate masses.

The chief minister also directed the district administrations across the province to ensure the strict implementation of social distancing and other preventive measures in shops of daily use commodities so that the possible outbreak of coronavirus pandemic could be avoided. Earlier, the meeting was briefed that Covid Command and Control Centres had been set up at provincial, district and tehsil level across the province.

“As many as 215 quarantine centres, 554 high dependency units and isolation centres with a total capacity of 2400 beds have been established in the province which can further be increased if need arises;” the meeting was informed.

The meeting was told that basic personal protective equipment (PPEs) had also been provided to all the frontline line staff deputed in these facilities.

‘Govt committed to control price-hike’

Adviser to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Information and Public Relations Ajmal Wazir said on Saturday that the government was committed to ensuring the availability of essential commodities in the market.

According to an official handout, he visited different localities in the provincial capital on behalf of the chief minister to check artificial price-hike. Ajmal Wazir said the government was taking steps to bring down the prices of the essential commodities and nobody would be allowed to fleece the people. “We will discourage market manipulation by anti-people elements and would bring them to justice,” he added.

On the occasion, he met with traders and vendors and asked about the availability and prices of the essential commodities.

He said, “We salute our doctors, nurses and paramedical staff who are fighting on frontlines against the corona pandemic. We are confident that even in this difficult time, our business community will shoulder their national, religious and moral responsibility.” Ajmal Wazir said the package announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Mahmood Khan for the financial support of the people, concessions to construction industries were being processed. He said these initiatives would provide relief to millions of workers, industrialists, investors and generate employment opportunities for those rendered jobless as a result of the prevailing crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak.