Punjab govt restricts coronavirus updates in media

MULTAN: The Punjab government, through a notification, has restrained the health workers at public sector hospitals across the province from sharing any type of information about Covid-19 patients with the print or electronic media.

The provincial government issued a notification in this connection late Saturday night, which sought immediate compliance.

The Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department, vide notification SO (PHP) 9-149 /2020 dated 28-3-2020, titled ‘Interaction with the media’, has directed all vice chancellors of public sector medical universities, all principals of medical colleges, all heads of specialised institutions, all medical superintendents of teaching hospitals in Punjab and administrator Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore.

The SHC&ME secretary said in the notification that a lot of misinformation was being transmitted on electronic and print media. The notification said no public sector official/ officer of hospitals or institutions under the administrative control of the SHC&ME Department was allowed to give any statement, interview to the print or electronic media regarding Covid-19 pandemic without prior approval of the competent authority. A list of experts should be provided by the Corona Experts Advisory Group (CEAG) of the SHC&ME Department, which should be available to the media seeking any expert comment or expert opinion, the notification said. If any doctor considers himself/ herself expert on the subject may seek empanelment from the CEAG before issuance of his/her statement.