- Expresses fear that hospitals will face immense pressure due to likely surge in corona cases by the end of this month
QUETTA, April 9: Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said that decision about easing the countrywide lockdown will be taken after seeking input from all the provinces on 14th of this month.
Talking to members of Balochistan cabinet and parliamentarians and later addressing a news conference at Governor House in Quetta on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said that federal and provincial governments are working in cohesion to cope with the situation arising out of COVID-19.
The Prime Minister said that National Command and Control Center is minutely observing the coronavirus situation across the country. He expressed fear that hospitals will face immense pressure due to likely surge in corona cases by the end of this month.
He urged the nation to demonstrate unity to mitigate adverse impacts of coronavirus. The Prime Minister called upon the nation to join hands with the government in war against coronavirus as it is the issue of entire country. Khan said his visit to Balochistan is aimed at ascertaining the grievances and problems being face by the masses of the most backward and poor province. He maintained that he came here to extend cooperation to Balochistan government in providing maximum relief during the lockdown.
He said the federal government would provide financial assistance to more than one hundred million lockdown-stricken people across the country.
He said the whole world was confronted with an unprecedented situation after the outbreak of COVID-19 and Pakistani nation would fight coronavirus with unity.
He said the government is fully focusing on providing personal protection equipments (PPEs) and other related tools to doctors and paramedical staff at the hospitals, adding that such equipment has been provided to all those working at the intensive care units.
He said there was shortage of ventilators and testing kits worldwide but the government is utilizing all its resources to import them on emergency basis.
He expressed his pleasure that there was no patient of coronavirus in Balochistan in the intensive care units. The Prime Minister said the coronavirus would have less impact on Balochistan except Quetta as the province had scattered population. Contrary to it, he said, the COVID-19 would have greater impact in big cities like Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad and so on.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the complete lockdown is badly affecting the low-income and laborer community particularly in Balochistan as majority of the people here are already living below the poverty line. He said the provincial governments themselves would decide about the lockdown according to their situation on April 14.
He said the federal and provincial governments were in coordination to tackle the pandemic as no single government could tackle it alone. -TLTP