Punjab opp benches question spending of Rs 11 bn for Covid-19 management

LAHORE: Opposition MPAs Khwaja Salman Rafique and Uzma Bokhari at the Punjab Assembly criticised the Punjab government that it had claimed to have spent Rs 11 billion for tackling corona but the result was zero. They said that the government should improve facilities for corona patients. The opposition members said that medical staff had not been provided with facilities for fighting the coronavirus in accordance with the directions of the World Health Organization and health SOPs were violated during distribution of the Ehsas Programme.

The session was held under the chairmanship of Speaker Ch Pervaiz Elahi here on Friday. Refuting the opposition remarks, the Provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashed told the House that the government was taking every possible measure for tackling the corona pandemic, doctors and paramedics had also been provided with all facilities and the government also increased the number of Corona tests and all patients in quarantine centres were also being provided with all facilities.

According to a press release, Provincial Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja presented seven ordinances in the House. These included Ordinance (Prevention and Control) Epidemic Diseases Punjab 2020, Ordinance (Amendment) Local Government Punjab 2020, Ordinance (Amendment) Dehi Panchayateen and Neighborhood Councils Punjab 2020, Ordinance (Amendment) Stamp Punjab 2020, Ordinance Anti-Hoarding Punjab 2020, Ordinance (Amendment) (Promotion and Regulation) Private Educational Institutions Punjab 2020, Ordinance (Punjab Amendment) Majmooa Zabita Deewani 2020. Speaker Pervaiz Elahi referred the ordinances to the Standing Committees concerned with the direction to submit their reports in two months in each case.