151 Corona patients discharged from Dera: Wazir
our correspondent
PESHAWAR
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet with Chief Minister Mehmood Khan in the chair Friday decided to enhance the diagnostic testing capacity of infectious Corona disease from 300 to 1500 daily by next week and subsequently take it to 10,000 with support of private hospitals and laborites across the province.
KP Government spokesperson Ajmal Wazir told a media briefing after the cabinet meeting that Chief Minister Mehmood Khan specially directed the departments concerned to take testing capacity of corona virus to 1500 to 2000 daily by next week on emergency basis.
CM further directed to enhance this capacity to 10,000 with the help of private labs and hospitals. He also directed to take steps on war footing and extend the testing facility in all districts of the province.
The CM directed release of additional funds to DHOs and MSOs to improve the corona testing capacity and health facilities for corona patients.
The cabinet decided to improve health facilities by allowing purchase of more ventilators and by appointing backup staff in health department to deal with any emergency in case of corona outspread.
It was informed on the occasion that over 1200 doctors have already been appointed on contract basis while through Public Service Commission a total 2000 would be appointed. It was further told that paramedic staff and other staff would be inducted on walk in interview basis and the cabinet gave approval to policy in this regard.
The cabinet discussed lockdown situation and precautionary measures in the wake of corona pandemic and expressed satisfaction to know that due to effective measures 151 corona patients have been discharged from quarantine centers in district DI Khan and being sent to their respective areas.
The cabinet meeting was informed that until now there is no shortage of wheat or flour in the province and 165,000 wheat is available in the stock.
The cabinet decided that supply of 5,000 tons of wheat would continue from Punjab and in case of any shortage more wheat would be procured from local farmers soon after harvesting season and in extreme condition it could be bought from PASCO or to be imported.
The cabinet was told that under KP government relief package 243,000 families would be given Rs 6000 assistance for next three months in first phase under provincial relief package and around Rs 6000 per month to be given under federal government relief package.
Minister for Health Taimur Salim Jhagra gave a detailed briefing to cabinet on outspread of corona disease and said that till date the number of positive cases were 311 while 9 died till April 2, adding that the urban population in Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan, DI Khan and other cities was more vulnerable to be affected by corona disease due to dense population.
On the occasion the CM underlined the need for more precautionary measures and implementation of government policy in letter and spirit to contain the outspread of corona.
The Health Minister told cabinet that due to effective lockdown no corona case was reported from Chitral and Kohistan.
