CM Mahmood Khan visits Charsadda to review corona measures

CHARSADDA: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Tuesday visited Charsadda to review the measures taken by the district administration to effectively deal with the coronavirus.

During his trip, the chief minister visited the quarantine centre established at Sports Complex Charsadda, dedicated isolation wards set up at Women and Children Hospital Rajjar and Ehsaas Cash Distribution Point at the Government High School Rajjar. Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Sultan Mohammad Khan, Special Assistant to CM on Minerals Arif Ahmadzai, Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz and members of national and provincial assemblies from Charsadda also accompanied the chief minister. While briefing the chief minister regarding the prevailing situation of corona in the district and the arrangements made by the district administration, Deputy Commissioner Adeel Shah said that there were total 24 confirmed and 146 suspected cases in Charsadda.

He said that 102 people had tested negative whereas results of 20 others were still awaited, adding that no death had been reported in the district. He informed the chief minister that isolation wards had been set up for corona patients in five different hospitals of the district while quarantine centres have been set up in nine different locations with a total capacity of 224 rooms equipped with all the required facilities as per the standard protocols.

The chief minister was informed that besides a 24/7 Control Room at district level, Rapid Response Teams have been raised at all tehsil and union council level to respond to any emergency in the district.

The deputy commissioner informed the chief minister that 2630 people with foreign travel history had been traced across the district and except for one and all of them were clear with regard to coronavirus.

Regarding wheat and flour stock, it was informed that sufficient stocks of both the items were available in the district and there was no shortage of any kind of food items in the district. Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said that the government was taking all possible measures to provide maximum relief to the vulnerable segments of society affected due to lockdown and social distancing measures in the prevailing situation.

He added that under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme, almost 2.2 million deserving families of the province were being provided Rs12000 each to mitigate their sufferings. “The cash amount being distributed under the programme is only meant for the deserving families and it will be given to those deserving and entitled families only,” the chief minister said.

He made it clear that no one would be allowed to receive a single penny out of this amount and if anyone was found involved in such practice, they would be dealt with iron hands. Touching upon the latest situation of corona testing capacity in the province, Mahmood Khan said that there was a capacity of 500 tests per day, adding that steps were being taken on war footings to increase the testing capacity to 2000 per day.

Mahmood Khan appreciated the role of health workers, civil administration, army, police and other relevant bodies in the fight against corona and urged upon the public to extend maximum cooperation to the administration to implement the measures put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Later, the chief minister paid a visit to Ehsaas Emergency Cash Distribution Point set up at Government High School Rajjar to review the cash distribution process.