NDMA to procure PPEs from local market: Gen Afzal

ISLAMABAD, Apr 15 (APP):Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal has announced that from now onwards all personal protective equipments (PPEs) for safety against spread of Covid-19 would preferably be procured from the local market.

This principle decision was taken to support local businesses and manufacturing industry, said a press release.

Chairman NDMA has directed the procurement committee that maximum procurement should be made from local markets through local vendors except where product of required quality and quantity was not available.

He was informed that all PPEs except for N-95 masks was now locally manufactured and available in Pakistani markets.

Chairman NDMA said manufacturers who intend to produce N-95 would also be supported, adding, “Local production of N-95 masks up to one lac will start by the end of this month.”

He, however made it clear that to supply PPEs, especially to doctors and paramedic staff for their safety against infectious virus was of acute importance therefore, quality and quantity of the PPEs would not be compromised at any cost.

He said that only products not available in local market according to required standards and quantities would be imported.

Meanwhile, NDMA has provided medical equipment including PPEs to provincial disaster management authorities (PDMAs) of Punjab, Sindh Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Hospitals, National Institute of Health (NIH), the Armed Forces and government departments.