Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal has said that the country's coronavirus Covid-19 testing capacity has been increased to 30,000 to 40,000 per day.

Talking to media after receiving another consignment of 18 tonnes medical equipment from China by a special flight of the PIA, he said, "In the next few days, country's laboratories would be able to conduct up to 40,000 coronavirus tests daily."

He said it was the first flight of the consignments of a total of US$50 million medical equipments from China in collaboration with the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF).

Three to four more aircrafts carrying mostly personal protective equipments (PPEs) and ventilators would arrive soon.

The first consignment included 15 X-ray machines, 159 ventilators, 200 thermal guns, 290,000 surgical masks, 15,000 protective gowns, 30,000 gloves, 5,000 safety goggles and other personal protective equipment. He thanked the NDRMF for sponsoring huge consignments.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) NDRMF Lt Gen (retd) Nadeem Ahmed said the procuring of the PPEs and supply was being ensured for the safety of doctors and paramedics.

In addition to that US$50 million consignment, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was funding additional US$105 million for procuring more medical equipments in collaboration with the NDMA to provide necessary equipments to provinces and federation. Likewise, he said the World Bank was poised to give US$60 million.

The NDRMF would try to create earning livelihood opportunities for the people whose businesses or employments were badly affected due to lockdown. The aim is to reduce their sufferings. He said negotiations were nearing conclusion with French Development Bank for getting US$40 to US$45 million for procuring more medical equipments.