Sindh govt to arrange funds on its own to deal with coronavirus, Centre told

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday said that the province would arrange funds on its own to deal with the coronavirus and would only require some medical equipment from the federal authorities, ARY NEWS reported.      

The chief minister said this while attending a meeting via video link chaired by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza. Chief Secretary Sindh, provincial health minister, specialists from different private hospitals also attended the meeting.

He said that the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has conveyed a list of some of the required items to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

“We have one more case of the virus detected today,” said the chief minister adding that the person came from Saudi Arabia and is now shifted to a hospital for treatment.

He said that around 283 people have arrived from Taftan border in Sukkur and a screening process on them is continuing to further ascertain that they are free from the virus.

Murad Ali Shah asked the Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal to ensure that none of the pilgrims arriving from Taftan is allowed to leave the bus before reaching the final destination in Sukkur. “We will also cleanse the buses carrying the passengers in order to avoid any transmission of virus from them,” he said.

In a report aired on ARY NEWS yesterday, the authorities at one of the biggest quarantine camp established in the country at Pakistan-Iran border in Taftan area of Balochistan province have failed to implement basic measures to prevent coronavirus outbreak, growing fears of the virus outbreak.

According to details, people quarantined at the centre are allowed to roam freely, mingling and shaking hands with each other.

“Most of the people at the camp are not using masks, which are deemed necessary for preventing the transfer of the virus from one person to another,” said the report broadcasted on ARY NEWS.

A number of stalls and shops comprising of unhygienic food items have also been established at the camp, it said adding that the cleaning facilities at the camp are also below par.

Those quarantined in the camp are also allowed to go out of the enclosed area to fill water, raising fears of the virus outbreak in the nearby areas.