Multan hospitals did not get aid from Punjab, says Qureshi

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Monday he had learnt that hospitals in Multan were not provided with medical aid and supplies from the Punjab

government to treat coronavirus patients.

The foreign minister said after learning about the lack of medical support to doctors in Multan he established contact with the secretary health Punjab and provincial health minister to resolve the issue.

He said the biggest quarantine centre was built in Multan, adding the pilgrims coming via Taftan border were kept in the southern Punjab city for testing and further procedures. He said only those were sent back to their homes who tested negative for the coronavirus.

Qureshi said he was grateful to federal minister Asad Umar for taking notice of the issue in Multan. In response, Punjab Health Minister Yasmin Rashid said she will be visiting Multan in order to verify Qureshi’s complaints regarding hospitals not receiving adequate aid to fight the virus.

“I will update the foreign minister after getting the first-hand report from hospitals,” said Rashid, adding Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and other provincial officials have already visited the medical centres.

The health minister maintained that Multan hospitals were already provided with safety kits and required items and the group of doctors who were suspected for coronavirus earlier had also tested negative.

Meanwhile, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was to operate four special flights to bring back more than 1,100 Pakistanis stranded in Dubai on Monday.According to the media reports, over 600 Pakistanis were to reach Karachi from Dubai on two flights, while two other flights with over 500 passengers were to land in Lahore.

Upon their arrival the passengers would have to undergo medical checkup at the airports in Karachi and Lahore following which they would be shifted to quarantine centrres. Separately, the Sikh community in the country and all over the world has greatly appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for immediate repair of the damaged domes of Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the domes were damaged on the night of 17th April due to strong winds caused by severe storm, and the repair work was completed within 24 hours of damage.