Ground situation dictates corona policy: Shibli

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz Sunday said the government was following a clear policy based on ground realities since the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

Talking to a private news channel, he said the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) was taking decisions on the basis of daily analysis of the situation.

The minister said the negative aspect of complete lockdown was witnessed in the neighbouring country where 120 million population lived below the poverty line.

About the government's preparation for the expected peak of COVID-19 in July, Shibli said no health infrastructure in the world could absorb such a big crisis; however, the government would try its best to effectively handle the situation.

He said despite meager financial resources, the government had enhanced the health facilities to almost three times, which included increasing the number of ventilators from 2,800 to 4,800 with additional 1,400 in the pipeline, enhancing the number of beds to 800 alone in the federal capital hospitals with thousands in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, besides provision of oxygenated beds.

The minister said the government had warned that it would seal the areas where people were found violating the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

He asked the opposition not to play politics at this critical juncture and come forward to serve the masses as a stakeholder.

To a question, Senator Shibli Faraz said a parliamentary committee had also been constituted on the virus, which held six sessions on coronavirus situation.