Isolation centres at DHQ hospitals in offing

The move is taken to tackle increasing number of coronavirus cases in Balochistan

QUETTA: Balochistan Finance Minister Zahoor Buledi on Saturday announced establishment of isolation centres at basic health units, District Headquarters hospitals of each district in order to tackle the rising cases of novel coronavirus in the province.

“Government seeks recommendation of health professionals to accommodate pilgrims arriving from Iran’s Qom,” said the minister while addressing a press conference at Chief Minister Secretariat accompanied by other provincial minister Saleem Khosa, Zamrak Achakzai, Arif Hassani and the provincial government Spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani.

Buledi asserted the government has established quarantine units at two other places besides the facility at Mian Ghundi located on the outskirts of Quetta.

Briefing on the preventive measures adopted by the Balochistan government, the minister said that inter-provincial and inter-city transport had been suspended for 21 days.

Earlier, the provincial government had decided to impose a 21-day partial lockdown across the province to control the spread of the highly contagious disease.

Under the lockdown, which was similar to the restrictions imposed by the Sindh government, all major shopping centres, markets and food restaurants remained closed. However, food delivery was allowed during the lockdown.

The minister added if the situation got worse, the government would set up quarantine centres in hotels.

Buledi said that the Corona fund has also been set up by the government with initial release of Rs1 billion. "The provincial ministers and other government members have donated a month’s salary with the expectation that the opposition will follow suit."

Terming the attitude of opposition non-serious, the provincial minister labelled the claims of opposition parties an agenda for political point-scoring in a difficult time like this in order to create problems for the government.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2020.