LAHORE: The Punjab government has announced a special risk allowance [one-pay equivalent] for medical staff and other officials fighting coronavirus scourge on frontlines while risking their own lives.Since the PIA crew members and Civil Aviation Authority officials have remained exposed to the foreign travellers at airports across the province, the Punjab government is asking the CAA authorities either to get their each and every employee screened or provide lists to the government for proper screening.

This was announced by Usman Buzdar at a news conference after chairing the Cabinet Committee on eradication of coronavirus at chief minister’s secretariat on Wednesday. He said the Punjab Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control Ordinance 2020 had been enforced at once.

The chief minister hinted that the Punjab government would announce social protection package on the pattern of the federal government.

He said that 600 pilgrims out of 800 quarantined at D.G. Khan had been cleared of coronavirus and the government officials would transport them to their homes in the province.

Mr Buzdar said the government was also ready to begin screening process of all prisoners in jails across Punjab and added that a 100-bed hospital was being set up in the Lahore Camp Jail for the purpose.

He said the government was also finalising a strategy to give relief and release some 3,500 prisoners in these testing times.

The chief minister said the health department had been directed to enhance the lab facilities, as per Punjab cabinet decision, and ensure the availability of all required kits and personal protective gear etc. “The PSL level-3 labs will be set up in every division and Rs620 million have been released for five divisions to early complete this project,” Mr Buzdar said.

The CM said the waste management company and other managements had been directed across the province to ensure cleanliness.

The chief minister said instructions had been issued to all concerned that the food chain must not be disrupt and added that ample stocks were already available with the government. “A committee has been constituted that will meet on a daily basis to ensure that there was no dearth of food items in the province,” he said. He reiterated that the hoarders would be dealt with an iron hand.

The chief minister said the total number of coronavirus patients in Punjab stood at 312 including 176 in DG Khan, 77 in Lahore, three in Multan, 19 in Jhelum, two each in Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, 21 in Gujrat, eight in Gujranwala and one each in Mandi Bahuddin, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha and Narowal.

He said the total number of quarantine facilities in Punjab had reached 163 having a total capacity of 20,000 patients. Meanwhile, he said, work was in progress to set up more quarantine facilities along with increase in medical facilities.

The chief secretary told the cabinet committee meeting that 150 pilgrims, coming from Iran, had been kept in Faisalabad.

Mr Buzdar earlier in the day visited the UET’s Kala Shah Kaku campus and inspected the 1200-bed quarentine established there. He directed installation of incinerators at the quarantine facility to dispose of the disposables as well as clothes of the medical teams.

The chief minister was briefed about the yellow van and yellow room facility. He was told that the goggles, boots, gloves, face masks, caps and protective dresses would be collected in the yellow room and the sealed protective kit would be sent to the yellow van for its disposal in incinerator at high temperature. This process would also be digitally monitored.

The chief minister was also informed that 15 AC buses had been arranged to transfer the patients from Old Airport Terminal Lahore to KSK Campus after their registration. The patients would be shifted to the quarantine facility, where control room and emergency response centre had also been set up. Similarly, four ambulances and 10 motorcycle ambulances had been arranged while 15 doctors and 65 members of the medical team would perform round-the-clock duties in different shifts. Dispensary and infection control system, along with security arrangements, had been established. Portable washrooms and other facilities were also available in the KSK Campus for 816 patients. Around 1,400 patients could be quarantined in UET, GCU and Judicial Complex facilities.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2020