PM Imran Khan pledges all-out support to provinces to meet coronavirus challenge

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that the federal government was providing all-out assistance and support to all provinces to control the spread of coronavirus.

He was talking to reporters during his visit to the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) where he was briefed about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s relief measures and arrangements made for treatment of coronavirus patients and prevention of the spread of pandemic in the province.

Governor Shah Farman, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Federal Minister Asad Umar, Minister of State Shahryar Afridi and Special Assistant to PM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar and KP Health Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra were present on the occasion.

“The cooperation with all provinces would continue to cope with the situation,” the prime minister said. He directed the governor, chief minister and ministers to visit the affected areas and ensure availability of the required services to the people at their doorstep.

The prime minister was briefed by Chief Secretary KP Dr Kazim Niaz about the various arrangements and relief measures initiated by the provincial government in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

During the briefing, the prime minister was informed that coronavirus pandemic was prevalent more in six districts of the province. He was told that Corona Emergency was enforced by the KP government on February 3. It was pointed out that the KP governor, chief minister, health minister and other authorities were monitoring the situation on a daily basis.

Besides, 275 quarantine centres have been established in the province where 18,000 persons can be accommodated. The prime minister was informed that KP chief minister has announced Rs32 billion as relief package at the provincial level to assist those affected by the lockdown. He was told that 583 ventilators were available in KP and more were being acquired. It was pointed out during the briefing that keeping in view the emergency situation, 638 regular and 1,299 contract doctors were recruited in the province to augment the medical teams treating the Covid-19 patients. In addition, 9,000 retired doctors, nurses and paramedics have made registration voluntarily and they could be called up in case of need.

The prime minister was informed that 400 rapid response teams have been constituted to deal with the situation arising from the coronavirus outbreak. Besides, the capacity of coronavirus testing was being increased and the district administrations in the province had been empowered to facilitate the public.

Prime Minister Imran Khan appreciated the measures taken by the KP government to cope with the situation. He said that in the present circumstances the government was focusing on preventing the spread of coronavirus and providing relief to poor segment of the society. Earlier, the prime minister was briefed by his Special Assistant on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Sania Nishtar about different measures taken by the government for provision of financial assistance to the poor and vulnerable segments of the society in KP. She said distribution of Rs12,000 per poor family under the Prime Minister Ehsas Emergency Cash Programme has started across the country including KP on April 9 and the payment was being made to deserving families under a transparent online mechanism.

She said it was a landmark relief programme in the social sector started by the government to provide the much-needed assistance to daily wagers and poor and deserving families in line with the vision of prime minister to cope with the loss of livelihoods due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The government would spend about Rs144 billion on this mega relief programme in the country, she added. Dr Sania Nishtar said that in KP, 2.2 million poor families have been identified and would be assisted directly from the Prime Minister Ehsas Emergency Cash Programme. She added that around 360 cash distribution points have been setup in all 35 districts of KP where payments of Rs12,000 were being made to the most deserving families.