KP govt announces package for journalists amid corona

PESHAWAR: Advisor to Chief Minister on Information Ajmal Khan Wazir said on Saturday that Rs1 million would be paid to the family of a journalist in case he or she dies of coronavirus and all expenses of medical treatment in such cases would be borne by the government.

He said that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa acknowledges the services of media men for public awareness against corona. He expressed these views while briefing the media regarding corona updates at the Information Department at Civil Secretariat. Ajmal said that KP government had purchased protective equipment, costing Rs1.5 billion for the Health Department. About the KP government initiatives, he said that 275 quarantine centers have been set up across the province, with a capacity of 18,000 people along with high dependency units in different hospitals of the province which has the capacity of 480 patients.

He also told media that there were 110 isolation wards with capacity of 3,000 people. He further said that there were 583 ventilators across the province whose numbers will be increased further.

Referring to the health staff, Wazir said that a locum scheme has been introduced to back up the existing health staff, which has registered 9,500 people, including specialists, doctors and paramedics. As per the emergency, 638 doctors were recruited on regular and 1299 on temporary basis.

On the occasion, Adviser Ajmal Khan Wazir also handed over 1000 bottles of sanitizer, 1000 masks and hundred pieces of safety kits to the president of Peshawar Press Club Syed Bukhar Shah and president of Khyber Union of Journalists Fida Khattak on the behalf of the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.