Centre to give equipment directly to hospitals

Minister says capacity to conduct coronavirus tests will increase to 25,000 per day by end of April

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to provide medical equipment directly to 400 identified hospitals where ventilators were available as the nationwide tally of Covid-19 cases crossed 4,000 on Tuesday -- half of them in Punjab alone – and the death toll hit 55.

“Initially, we have shortlisted 153 hospitals [for the provision of the equipment] having a minimum of five ventilators, including four in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, seven in Islamabad, four in Balochistan, 21 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 75 in Punjab and 42 in Sindh, in the first phase,” Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said at a news conference.

He added that the federal government had provided 39,500 protective kits for doctors and paramedics against the provinces’ request for 22,000.

“Balochistan received 5,600 kits, Islamabad 2,000, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 7,600, Punjab 10,600, Sindh 9,200, AJK 3,000 and Gilgit-Baltistan 500.”

The minister, who heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) for Covid-19, said the country’s capacity to conduct coronavirus tests would increase to 25,000 per day by the end of April from the existing 3,000.

He pointed out that about three weeks ago, the country could only test 700 to 800 samples per day.

Umar further said the federal government would start disbursing Rs12,000 each to deserving families from April 9 under its special package to support the people affected by the lockdown imposed by the government to curb the spread of the virus.

"In the first phase, we will disburse Rs48 billion to four million families for which 16,923 distribution points have been set up across the country," he said.

Around 12 million families will each receive Rs12,000 in phases.

The minister elaborated that of the total 16,923 distribution points, 3,700 had been set up in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 396 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 285 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 708 in Balochistan, 4,374 in Sindh, 7,299 in Punjab and 161 in Islamabad.

“Protective measures will be taken and people won’t be allowed to gather in large numbers at the distribution points,” he said.

“The federal government will provide cash to the families directly in every corner of the country without any discrimination.”

Umar also took to Twitter to ask people to take the pandemic very seriously and adopt all precautionary measures to prevent its spread.

“Those who think they are immune from the serious effects of Covid-19, please learn from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson,” he warned.

“If the prime minister of a country with one of the best health systems in the world can end up in ICU, trust me you are not too powerful for it.”

State Minister for Health Dr Zafar Mirza, who was present at the news conference along with Umar, said the sudden spike in number of coronavirus cases was because of the addition of the tests results of people living in quarantine centres.

He noted that 163 tests were being conducted per one million people in Pakistan. In comparison, he added, 50 tests per one million were being carried out in India.

He acknowledged that the figure of 163 tests per million was not really enough. However, he said, all efforts were being made to increase the testing capacity in the country.

“The curve of coronavirus cases can be flattened in the country through mass testing,” he added.

 

(With input from APP)