Government team briefs CJP about steps taken to combat Covid-19

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed said the government functionaries should work hard to achieve success in the fight against coronavirus pandemic.

He was chairing a meeting held in the Supreme Court building on Wednesday, wherein Dr Zafar Mirza, Advisor to the PM for Health, Dr Sania Nishtar, Advisor to the PM on Ehsaas Programme and Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal, Chairman NDMA gave detailed briefing to the judges in the chambers regarding the steps taken by the federal government to combat coronavirus crisis and its impact.

At the very outset of the meeting, the chief justice raised the issues regarding closure of OPDs, testing capacity of coronavirus, safety of doctors, paramedical staff, vision of quarantine, and steps taken so far by the government functionaries.

Dr Mirza briefed the participants about the current statistics and response of the government at federal and provincial levels and the WHO protocols.

He also informed about the preventive and precautionary measures taken so far by the government at all levels to fight the pandemic. He also shared the future roadmap to tackle the issue.

He informed that emergencies in all hospitals were open round-the-clock. Private hospitals have not been restricted to operate during lockdown. They can operate after fulfilling health protocols as suggested by the WHO. Passengers coming from foreign countries are being quarantined as per the WHO protocols. Moreover, health staff is being trained on a daily basis to enhance capabilities.

Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal told about the procurement, availability of the PPEs, ventilators, masks and other essential items, process of disbursement to all hospitals marked for preventing the Covid-19 with the help of armed personnel.

He also informed that more laboratories were being set up to enhance testing capacity.

Dr Nishtar informed that due to outbreak of deadly virus the economic activities were at a halt, and people were rendered jobless.

The government has initiated programme to help 12 million families under Ehsaas Programme through which Rs12,000 to each family (one-time payment) were being disbursed to the poor, deserving and jobless people earmarked through the NADRA software and already available record of the BISP.

The amount will be disbursed after biometric verification.

Health protocols and preventive measures to control outbreak of the Covid-19 at the places of disbursement will also be taken care of.

The meeting was also attended by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed, Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan, Dr Tanvir Ahmed Qureshi, secretary Health, Ali Raza Bhutta, secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Yousaf Khan, secretary BISP, DG Health, Hamza Shafqaat, deputy commissioner Islamabad and Khawaja Daud Ahmad, registrar Supreme Court.