COVID-19: Screening begins at ‘Panahgahs’ for dwellers’ safety

ISLAMABAD: The management of shelter homes has started screening for the coronavirus at all of six ‘Panahgahs’?of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to ascertain the prevalence of infection in dwellers and service providers.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Shelter Homes Naseem-ur-Rehman told the media about the development on Sunday after visiting the Peshawar Mor facility, where the coronavirus testing of its service providers was conducted by the capital health authorities.

“We have tested around 20 staffers of G-9 ‘Panahgah’?for COVID-19 and it is good to know that all of them came negative,” said the focal person, adding that random testing of the service providers working at both the cities? shelter homes would be carried out in the first phase.

He said the service providers had been working at forefront and came in contact with hundreds of people daily so they were being tested on priority.

They were also being given Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure their safety from coronavirus.

Naseem said hands-on training on health guidelines were given to the service providers so that they could ensure the implementation of SOPs at all the shelter homes by sensitizing the dwellers about their importance for averting the risk of contacting the coronavirus.

“All the SOPs including mask-wearing, sanitization, handwashing and physical distancing had been reinforced at the twin cities shelter homes to ensure that the dwellers stay safe during the second wave of coronavirus,” he remarked.

The focal person said physical sites of all the ‘Panahgahs’ had been improved under its remodelling project.

Besides, hand-washing booths had been installed to help the residents fight the coronavirus second layer.

Soap kits and masks were also being distributed among the visitors of ‘Panahgahs’ on regular basis, he added. He said the management was seriously considering using treated water in hand-washing booths to help the dwellers to wash off the coronavirus from their hands. “Our main aim is to transform the scope of Panahgahs from provision of food and shelter to the fostering healthy lifestyle among the daily wage earners,” he stressed.