President visits NCOC, warns against complacency

Islamabad : While COVID-19 is on a downward trajectory, complacency needs to be avoided both by the public and the administration. All provinces must ensure strict compliance of SOPs on Eid-ul-Azha and during Muharram-ul-Haram and encourage public adherence to safety guidelines.

President Dr. Arif Alvi expressed these views during a visit to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) here Wednesday. He was received by Lieutenant General Hamood Uz Zaman Khan, National Coordinator of NCOC. The meeting was attended by Minister for National Food Security Fakhar Imam, Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor Ul Haq Qadri, Chairman NDMA Lt. Gen. Muhammad Afzal, and Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Nigar Johar; the PM’s Special Assistant on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza and provincial chief secretaries attended the meeting via video link.

The meeting started with the Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and Maj. Gen. Asif Mehmood Goraya, DG Operations and Planning-NCOC, briefing the President on the COVID-19 situation, with a focus on implementation of NCC decisions, patterns of COVID-19 spread, and details pertaining to the coordination mechanism established with the federating units.

The President was briefed about the measures being taken to prime the healthcare system to cope with the challenge, capacity building of healthcare professionals, increased availability of hospital beds, uninterrupted supply of medicines, and use of digital technology for contact tracing and disease projection.

The President lauded the efforts of NCOC in putting up a robust response to the pandemic and ensuring coordinated actions across the country. “From daily monitoring of the situation to capacity enhancement of the health system and from establishing a credible database to better resource management and formulation of appropriate SOPs, health safety protocols/guidelines, the NCOC led from the front in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Alvi stated.