Punjab CM announces special risk allowance for medical staff
PSL level-3 labs will be set up in every division and Rs620 million
LAHORE (Web Desk) – Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar Wednesday announced special risk allowance, equivalent to one salary, for doctors, nurses, medical staff and others engaged in the treatment of coronavirus patients.
Briefing the media after the cabinet committee meeting on coronavirus, he said that 600 suspected patients, had been cleared after spending 14 days in Dera Ghazi Khan quarantine facility, and they would be sent to their homes after their tests. The Punjab government was also arranging follow-up screening in their respective districts, he said.
The CM said that screening of prisoners was also being started as a summary had also been moved to release 3,500 prisoners involved in petty crimes besides setting up a 100-bed hospital at Camp Jail Lahore.
The chief minister said the total number of coronavirus patients in Punjab was 312, out of which 176 were in DG Khan, 77 in Lahore, three in Multan, 19 in Jhelum, two each in Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, 21 in Gujrat, right in Gujranwala and one each in Mandi Bahauddin, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha and Narowal. The total number of quarantine facilities in Punjab was 163, having a total capacity of 20,000 patients, he added. Work was in progress to set up more quarantine facilities along-with increase in medical facilities, he said.
PSL level-3 labs will be set up in every division and Rs620 million have been released for 5 divisions to early complete this project, he added.
The chief minister told that Punjab government was writing a letter to CAA that arrangements be made to quickly check the Punjab bound CAA staff after foreign duties or Punjab government be provided with their lists for screening. He assured that cleanliness and other essential matters will not be affected and the administration will ensure cities’ regular cleanliness.
He directed that food-chain supply should not be affected adding that there was no shortage of food and other daily use items so the people should avoid unnecessary hoarding. The administration was active against hoarding and provision of personal protective equipment was in progress for safety from coronavirus.
He urged the people to maintain social distancing and stressed the philanthropists to attend to the needs of the indigent strata around them. There was no curfew like situation in the province but the people should restrict to their homes and cooperate with the government. The Punjab government will announce social protection package on the pattern of the federal government, he added.
The chief secretary told that 150 pilgrims, coming from Iran, were kept in Faisalabad as Taftan border was closed and there was no information about the arrival of more pilgrims.
Provincial Ministers Dr Yasmin Rashid, Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan, Chief Secretary, administrative secretaries and others were also present.
