KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Saturday that the provincial government had launched Rs1.61 billion schemes to rehabilitate the Karachi Fish Harbour apart from providing boats and nets to poor fishermen worth Rs100 million.

“This will help fishermen to work in an improved atmosphere at the harbour and poor fishermen would have their own boats and nets,” he added.

The CM was presiding over a meeting to review the ongoing development schemes in district West at CM House. The meeting was attended by several provincial ministers and other relevant officials.

District-wise schemes

The meeting was informed that in West district 78 schemes of Rs5bn were in progress, against which Rs1.85bn had been released while Rs866.519m was utilised which was 47 per cent of the releases.

‘First coronavirus patient discharged from hospital, two other patients also recovering fast’

The CM said that the Hub Canal scheme would provide 50mgd water to the people of district West, adding that at present this water was going in seepage as the canal had wide cracks.

The CM directed the elected representatives of the area to keep visiting the ongoing works so that their quality and pace of work could be ensured.

The CM also discussed some schemes of district Central which could not be discussed in the last meeting. The schemes which came under discussion included ‘Expansion and improvement of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital to the level of a tertiary care hospital for Rs1.57bn’.

He said that the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital would have a male nursing school, all its seven lifts would be replaced and the hospital would have its management information system.

The CM said that he had also allocated Rs1.1bn for revamping Gujjar Nullah. Besides, he said, a park at the Landikotal Chowrangi at a cost of Rs40m was also being established.

Coronavirus preventive steps

A batch of 300 pilgrims left Taftan on Saturday evening for Jacobabad and the second batch would leave on March 10 and would be kept in quarantine at Sukkur.

This was stated at the 10th meeting of the taskforce on coronavirus held under the chairmanship of CM Shah here on Saturday.

The meeting was attended by senior government officials.

The health secretary told the CM that he had sent four samples for coronavirus test, and all of them had been diagnosed as negative.

The meeting was told that the first patient had recovered completely and was discharged from the hospital while the two other patients were also recovering fast.

A sample of coronavirus suspect from district South had been sent for test.

The CM was told that the provincial government had conducted 100 tests till Saturday and 97 of them were diagnosed as negative.

The meeting was told that 282 pilgrims who returned from Iran were put in quarantine at their homes, of them 17 pilgrims were to complete their isolation period on Saturday, five on March 8, 30 on March 9, 63 on March 10, 25 on March 11, 34 on March 12, 66 on March 13, 11 on March 14 another 11 on March 15, two on March 16, five on March 17 and 12 on March 18 and one on March 19.

During their isolation they are checked on by the relevant team of doctors.

The CM was told that 300 pilgrims had left Taftan for Jacobabad on Saturday at 6pm.

The CM directed the commissioner to make best residential arrangements for them and provide them healthy food three times a day, fruits and refreshments. “I want you to keep them happy and content,” he said.

The CM also directed the Sukkur DHO and his special team constituted to check the incoming pilgrims to take the samples of the suspected patients regularly and send the same to the Aga Khan Hospital for lab test.

The commissioner said that he had made accommodation arrangements for 500 pilgrims at Sukkur and arrangement for 300 others would be made within the next two days.

The CM was told that another batch of pilgrims would leave Taftan for Sukkur on March 10. Therefore, arrangements for them might also be made accordingly.

The PDMA DG told the meeting that he had already sent beds, cushions, bed sheets and necessary utensils to Sukkur for the use of the pilgrims.

The WHO representatives suggested that some counsellor may also be arranged for counselling of the suspects at the Sukkur camp.

The CM directed the DHO of Sukkur to check all the incoming pilgrims when they arrive at the camp.

He also directed the airport authorities to check the travellers coming from Italy and South Korea at the airport and share their reports with the health department.

The CM said that in Iran 1,000 new cases of coronavirus had emerged which was alarming for us also. “Our precautionary measures as advised to the people of Sindh must be continued,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2020