KP government to increase regional diagnostic centres: minister

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has worked out plan to increase the number of diagnostic centers on a regional basis, in addition to increase medical facilities for Corona patients, KMU can contribute a leading role based on their experience to meet this pandemic.

This is stated by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Health, Taimur Saleem Jhagra while talking to the lab staff on a brief visit to the KMU reference lab here on Thursday. Besides, Vice-Chancellor KMU Prof Dr Arshad Javaid, dean basic medical sciences Prof Dr Jawad Ahmed, Director IBMS Dr Zilli Huma, Director PHRL Dr. Yasser Yousafzai, Biosafety Officer Dr Hafsa Muhammad and Lab Technologist Mohammad Sajjad were also present on the occasion.

The minister said that health workers, especially the Khyber Medical University (KMU) Public Health Reference Laboratory (PHRL) staff performing their duties on frontline to deal with the outbreak of Corona virus are not only proud of the nation, but they are the role models and real heroes of the society.

Taimur Saleem Jhagra said that the Corona outbreak was a major challenge for the entire nation, and the provincial government under the dynamic leadership of chief minister was struggling hard to cope with this menace by sparing all the available logistic and human resources.

He added that in order to prevent our population and to minimize the threat from COVID 19, we must implement in true spirit the guidelines and pre cautionary measures drawn by the health experts besides increasing the test capacity up to at least three thousand per day.

The provincial health minister said that the entire nation pays homage to our health workers working in unfavorable conditions and they are truly role models and heroes of the society. He said that the increase in the reference lab's technical and human capability within the few days to combat the Corona virus is praiseworthy and it is expected that this spirit of service to humanity will not be curtailed.

The health minister directed the KMU Vice-Chancellor to prepare a comprehensive and viable plan on war footing basis in view of the expected increase in the Corona cases in the upcoming days. Earlier, VC KMU Prof Dr Arshad Javaid briefed the health minister about the performance of the reference lab.