QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani has said the government has decided to allocate major share of the next year’s budget to improve weaknesses in the health sector exposed by coronavirus.

The CM said the government was making all-out efforts and utilising all available resources to reduce the impact of the deadly virus on the economy, health and other sectors.

He was presiding over a meeting, which was attended among others by Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Rubaba Buledi, Additional Chief Secretary for Home Hafiz Basit, Health Secretary Dostain Khan Jamaldani, Finance Secretary Noorul Haq Baloch, Sports Secretary Imran Gichki, Inspector General of Police Mohsin Hasan Butt, director general of health, food and agriculture and other senior officials.

The health officials briefed the participants on the Covid-19 situation. They said next three months could be sensitive in terms of spread of coronavirus, because the impact of contagious virus in Balochistan was different than its effects on other provinces. They explained that the death rate in Balochistan was far less than other three provinces.

Health Secretary Dostain Khan Jamaldini informed the meeting that the provincial health department had increased the number of daily tests to 1,500. Overall, 72,598 people have been screened and 31,117 tests for coronavirus carried out in Balochistan so far, he added.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2020