CM reviews anti-coronavirus arrangements

LAHORE, Mar 26 (APP):Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar on Thursday said that 550 pilgrims in DG Khan quarantine facility were being sent homes as they tested negative for coronavirus.
Likewise, the Punjab government also decided to improve the supply of essential items to facilitate the people, he said and added that there was no shortage of anything including flour and availability of daily-use items in markets would be fully ensured.
This was stated by him while chairing a meeting about anti-coronavirus arrangements at his office.
The chief minister directed to initiate crackdown against hoarders and profiteers as people could not be left at their mercy.
He further directed to improve the food supply chain.
He expressed satisfaction that new testing labs would be soon made functional to provide corona test facility at the divisional level.
The government had released 62 crore rupees to the Health department for this purpose besides allocating three thousand beds for coronavirus patients in government hospitals, he said and added that along with it, the availability of three thousand beds in private hospitals had also been identified.
The government had further arranged 50,000 beds through mapping of hostels of different educational institutions, said Usman Buzdar.
He stated that 12 billion rupees had been released to the Health department for the procurement of necessary medical equipment for doctors and paramedics.
He said the Punjab government had also approached the federal government to start the Zakat deduction process one month earlier. He added that necessary arrangements had 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 Yasmin Rashid, Hashim Jawan Bakht, Chief Secretary and Health secretaries attended the meeting.