Daily Times

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that 550 pilgrims in DG Khan quarantine facility were being sent home, as they tested negative for coronavirus.

Likewise, the Punjab government also decided to improve the supply of essential items to facilitate the people. There is no shortage of anything including flour and availability of daily-use items in markets will be fully ensured.

This was stated by him while chairing a meeting about anti-coronavirus arrangements at his office on Thursday.

The chief minister directed to initiate crackdown against hoarders and profiteers as people cannot be left at their mercy. He further directed to improve the food supply chain. He expressed the satisfaction that new testing labs will be soon made functional to provide corona test facility at the divisional level. The government has released 62 crore rupees to the health department for this purpose besides allocating three thousand beds for coronavirus patients in government hospitals, he said. Along with it, the availability of three thousand beds in private hospitals has also been identified. The government has further arranged 50,000 beds through mapping of hostels of different educational institutions, said Usman Buzdar. He stated that 12 billion rupees have been released to the health department for the procurement of necessary medical equipment for doctors and paramedics. The Punjab government has also approached the federal government to start the Zakat deduction process one month earlier, he disclosed and further added that necessary arrangements have been made to treat the coronavirus patients. The stock and supply of essential items, as well as procurement of necessary medical equipment, was reviewed in detail.

Provincial ministers Raja Basharat, Dr Yasmeen Rashid, Hashim Jawan Bakht, Chief Secretary and health secretaries attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, Usman Buzdar has said that government has taken all-out measures to safeguard the lives of people and every possible measure will be taken in future as well to protect the masses from coronavirus. He maintained the government is standing side by side with the people of the province and they will not be left alone in this difficult moment. All our joys and sorrows are with masses and will remain ever. Usman Buzdar said that he considers the difficulties of the people as his own. We are not those who left the people in difficult times and the measures which are being taken by the government are meant for safeguarding the lives of people. We do not practise politics of self-projection, rather we consider it a mean of thanking Allah Almighty. The chief minister appealed to the citizens to ensure the hundred per cent implementation on governmental orders for the sake of collective betterment. Today’s social distancing will save us from the agony of a permanent separation, he concluded.

Usman Buzdar also said the government salutes doctors, nurses and paramedics who are engaged in providing treatment facilities to coronavirus affected patients. He said that nation lauds the efforts being made by doctors in providing medical facilities to the patients in this time of trial. He announced that the Punjab government will pay one additional salary to doctors and paramedics engaged in the treatment of coronavirus patients as special risk allowance. He said that doctors and paramedics have proved themselves as benefactors by serving day and night and their beneficial role will be written in golden words in the annals of history. The services of doctors and paramedics who are working on the frontline will always be remembered, he concluded. The Chief Minister also telephonically contacted Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and thanked him for sending 100,000 KN-95 masks to Punjab government, being donated by China to the Sindh Government.

Usman Buzdar said that Punjab government appreciates it adding that we should help each other in this difficult moment. Our unity and commitment will defeat this fatal disease.

We will successfully deal with coronavirus challenge with the cooperation of the people, he added.