Health ministry to evolve disinfection policy

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) was Sunday informed that a comprehensive disinfection policy would be devised by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination for sanitization of different localities in the wake of coronavirus (COVID-19).

"In a meeting with the health ministers of all the provinces, we have agreed on five things including systematic investigation of COVID patients’ deaths, zero prevalence study of the virus, post-quarantine policy, guideline for disinfection and resource management in hospitals,” Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Zafar Mirza apprised the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar.

NCOC National Coordinator Lt Gen Hamood Uz Zaman, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minster on National Security Moeed Yusuf and others attended the meeting.

Dr Zafar said it was agreed that detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) about disinfection of areas needed to be issued.

“We need to be more systematic while investigating deaths of the COVID-19 patients,” he said, adding that a uniform approach for the purpose would be issued shortly.

Dr Zafar said the provinces had been informed about the system built by the National Information Technology Board (NITB) to indicate availability of vents and bed occupancy in the country’s hospitals.

NITB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shabahat Ali Shah said the system was meant to facilitate the policy makers in decision-making on the coronavirus.

He said all the public sector hospital managements had been given access to the system, enabling them to update the data of their resources recently.

Asad Umar underlined the need for providing access to the website to the provincial health authorities to ensure regular updating of data on the availability of beds and ventilators in all the hospitals.

Multiple agendas including a new policy for repatriation stranded nationals, procurement of critical equipment by the National Disaster Management Authority also came under discussion.

The CEO National Disaster Risk Management Fund briefed the meeting about utilization of funds for procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the wake of coronavirus.

Addressing a press conference after the NCOC meeting, Asad Umar urged upon every individual to take responsibility for adopting precautionary measures issued by the government and health departments to control the COVID-19.

Apart from all efforts of health teams, administration and use of technology to contain the disease, the most powerful activist is every individual who has the responsibility to not only save himself but to save the whole society and the country from the disease, Asad Umar said.

Appreciating the people’s behavior, he expressed satisfaction that majority

of the people were following the precautionary measures issued by the government

to prevent spread of COVID-19.

Asad said it had become even more important to adopt precautionary measures when the government had decided to ease lockdown to provide the people with opportunities of earning livelihoods.

He said the situation of coronavirus in the country was not out of control; however, in case of any emergency, the government was fully prepared to cope with the situation.

The minister said the decision of gradual lifting of lockdown was unanimously taken to ensure that the daily wagers and small businesspersons should not lose their sources of income.

However, on the other hand, he said, the numbers of COVID patients were also increasing.

People cannot be left without employments for a long; time, therefore the government has adopted such a system through which the daily routine life could be ensured along with strict measures to control the disease, he maintained.

Asad Umar said big policy decisions had already been taken and now the government was ensuring operational implementation on the ground.

He said all provincial and federal government departments and armed forces were working together to implement this system.

He specifically appreciated the NCOC team that had been working diligently since March 31 without break.

The minister said the Testing, Tracking and Quarantining system was being fully implemented.

He said the number of tests in the country had increased from 473 tests on March 15 to over 31,000 tests on May 9.

“Now 70 laboratories across the country have the capacity of testing for corona disease, which possess all necessary equipment required for the testing, ,” he added.

Asad also gave a presentation to show how the government was implementing the TTQ system.

He said the smart lockdown system had started working on ground.

“Under this system, with the help of technology, we got to know the number of cases in various areas of the country, and the health teams approach those areas and decide which streets or localities are to be sealed.” He said in Punjab, 359 smart lockdown cases were enforced, while in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the number of smart lockdowns was 177.