Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said on Tuesday that there are around 19000 diagnostics kits available in Punjab and 2000 more kits will be received from NDMA on Wednesday (today) while more testing labs are also being established in Lahore and other districts of the province.
"The capacity of conducting 3100 tests daily has been achieved by the provincial government and this would be enhanced to 5000 tests in the next few days. As much as 1785 people were tested on Monday," he said while chairing a meeting of cabinet committee for the eradication of coronavirus through a video link, here on Tuesday. The meeting held a detailed review of the prevailing situation and different facilities arranged for the patients.
Addressing the meeting, the CM asked the Health department to complete the procurement of necessary equipment and the patients in quarantine facilities or isolation wards must be tested again after 14 days and those found negative be allowed to go homes.
The CM further directed to establish separate wards for coronavirus affected pregnant women in Lahore and other districts' hospitals.
Sardar Usman Buzdar alsos paid rich tributes to Dr Abdul Qadir Soomro who embraced martyrdom while treating the coronavirus patients in Karachi.
"We salute the services of Shaheed Doctor Abdul Qadir Soomro rendered for the ailing humanity," he said, adding: "Shaheed Dr Abdul Qadir Soomro did not care for his life while treating the patients."
On the instructions of Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, a special vehicle "The Mist Queen" has been introduced for antiseptic spray.
A demonstration of antiseptic spray through "The Mist Queen" was given to the CM here on Tuesday. The CM expressed satisfaction over the manufacturing of a spray vehicle with local resources.
He was informed that the vehicle has been manufactured with a sum of Rs 175,000 and local government department has developed it with its resources. The chief minister said that "The Mist Queen" will spray main roads and markets. Eight such vehicles have been manufactured for spray in crowded areas of the provincial metropolis.
Moreover, Chief Secretary Punjab Maj Azam Suleman (retd) called on CM Usman Buzdar at his office and presented a cheque worth Rs 120 crore for Chief Minister Fund for Corona Control. This amount has been donated by Punjab government employees to support governmental efforts for overcoming the coronavirus pandemic. Government employees from grade 1 to 16 have donated their one day salary while grade 17 to grade 19 officers have donated two-day salary. Similarly, three-day salary of government officers of grade 20 to grade 22 has also been donated to this fund.
On the other hand, the CM also approved model vans for Elite Force, Highways and Punjab police. He inspected the model vans along with IG Police Shoaib Dastageer at CM Office here on Tuesday. IG Police briefed the chief minister about different features of the vans. The CM directed that safety and convenience of police personnel on duty should be kept in mind while selecting the vehicles.