F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: A high-level meeting to review the latest situation of Corona in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to decide future course of action was held here on Tuesday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair.
The meeting was attended by Health Minister Taimur Jhagrha, advisor to CM on Information Ajmal Khan wazir, Corp Commander Peshawar, Lt. Gen. Nauman Mahmood, Chief Secretary, Dr. Kazim Niaz, Inspector General Police, Sanaullah Abbassi, administrative secretaries of Relief, Home and Health departments and other relevant high ups.
While briefing the meeting, it was told that decisions taken in the last meeting of provincial cabinet regarding social distancing to control the outbreak of corona pandemic were being fully implemented across the province.
It was informed that overall 215 quarantine centres have been established in the province to cater for the needs of the suspected patients of Corona out of which 24 centre are active at the moment.
“Medical Tests of the majority of Taftaan Zaireens quarantined at Darazinda D.I.Khan have been reported clear and they are now being sent to their homes to live in home quarantines for next two weeks”, the meeting was briefed.
The meeting decided to provide free ration packages to the families of the individuals kept at government quarantine facilities as well. The matter of given risk allowance to the frontline health and rescue workers also came under consideration and it was decided that such a package would be announced within a couple of days when finance department gets the home work and calculation completed.
The meeting also decided to devise a mechanism to regulate the private vehicles plying within cities.
The meeting has stressed the need of evolving a mechanism in coordination with federal government and other provinces to safely exchange the individuals of Tableeghi Jumaats.
The meeting reviewed in details necessary arrangements put in place for the people expected to come from across the border when the Torkham border is opened as well as for the people coming through flights when international flight operations are resumed.
The meeting was also updated about the latest situation of testing and treatment facilities of corona patient by health department and it was told that testing capacity had been increased from 100 per day to 300 per day which would further be increased to 500 within next few days.
“As many as 215 Quarantine Centers, 554 High Dependency Units and 2400 Isolation Beds have been arranged for corona patients across the province,” the meeting was briefed and further informed that number of ventilators in public sector hospitals of the province has been increased two folds which is further been increased on war footings.
The meeting expressed its satisfaction on the improved pace of supply of essential medical equipments to the hospitals and the stressed the need of further improvements.
The forum was further informed that the in the light of the decision taken in the last meeting of provincial cabinet, almost 15000 volunteers have been identified by the health department and the district administrations for rising Rapid Response Teams.
The meeting was also briefed about the availability of the commodities of daily use in the markets and told that there is sufficient stock of commodities in the province, and effectives monitoring mechanism has been put in place with a dedicated control room in the food department to keep vigilance on hoarders.
While addressing the meeting the Chief Minister highly appreciated the level of coordination amongst Civil Administration, Police and Army in the prevailing situation and hoped that the coordination would further be strengthened.
Mahmood Khan directed the health department to ensure the provision of Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) to the frontline of health workers and said that protection of the health workers in the prevailing situation was the top most priority of this government. He also directed that the concerned health authorities to increase the testing capacity for corona patient up to 2000 per day to be able to deal with any unwanted situation in the future.
