Panahgahs screened for coronavirus

Shelter homes’ management has started screening for novel coronavirus (Covid-19) at all six panahgahs in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to ascertain the prevalence of infection in dwellers and service providers.

Prime Minister's Focal Person on Shelter Homes Naseemur Rehman talked about the development on Sunday after visiting the Peshawar Mor facility where the service providers were tested for Covid-19 by the capital health authorities.

"We have tested around 20 staffers of G-9 Panahgah for Covid-19 and it is good to know that all of them came out negative," he said, adding that random testing of the service providers working at both the cities' shelter homes will be carried out in the first phase.

Rehman commented that the service providers have been working at the forefront and have come into contact with hundreds of people on daily so they are being tested on a priority basis. They were also given personal protective equipment to ensure safety against the virus, he shared.

He mentioned that hands-on training on health guidelines was given to the service providers so that they can ensure implementation of Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) across all shelter homes by sensitising the dwellers about their importance to avert the risk of contracting the virus.

"All the SOPs, including mask-wearing, sanitisation, hand washing and physical distancing had been reinforced at the shelter homes to make sure that the residents stay safe during the second wave of coronavirus," he remarked.

Rehman shared that all panahgahs had been improved under a remodeling project,

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2020.