NA Speaker seeks report on coronavirus from provinces

ISLAMABAD, Apr 09 (APP):National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Thursday sought detailed report on the present status of coronavirus outbreak from all provinces along with a follow up on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee.
While chairing second in-camera meeting of the parliamentary committee, the Speaker also invited the representatives of provinces in the next meeting for taking their inputs on the disease as well as efforts being made at their end.
Opposition members raised number of questions in the committee for the non-availability of ventilators, testing kits and other equipment required for coronavirus disease and utilization of funds received for said disease by the Government.
The members asked about the functions of the committee, what role and procedure will be adopted by the Government for distributions of Food & Medical Items at UC level, whether elected representatives to be included in distributions items relating to said disease, whether a representation will be given in NDMA and National Health Services Regulation and Coordination, whether non-deserving persons will be deleted from the present data being utilize for distributions of food and other items, whether Government is adopting China Model, whether funds allocated for research relating to said disease and whether province-wise breakup will be provided about the activities relating to the said disease to committee.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told the committee that main object of the committee is to collect inputs from political leaders and send to National Command & Operation Centre (NCOC) for implementation and National Coordination Committee (NCC) for taking further inputs and decisions and the Role of Parliamentary Committee would be oversight the activities made by the Government relating to COVID-19.
He added that distributions of food items will be provided to 12 million people as per old data and 4 million people as per new data and prescribed procedure is being finalized for distributions of food items, EPPs and Test Kits and all data will be available on website.
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Minister for Railways told the meeting that the data of BISP is consisted on Parliamentarian of PPPP and PML-N.
He said that tests of coronavirus patients should be increased and the shortage of ventilators in the county may addressed on urgent basis.
Hamad Azhar told the meeting that SOPs for distributions of food items have been provided to the Government of Punjab and NGOs.
He said the old procedure for distributions of food items at district levels was not good, therefore Uniform policy had been made with the consultation of Provinces for opening of Industries and shops.
The next meeting of the committee will be held on 20th April, 2020, he added.