Chief secy discusses pandemic measures with UN delegation

A five-member United Nations delegation led by Julien Harneis met Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah on Wednesday to discuss the measures taken by the provincial government for containing the novel coronavirus.

Also present on the occasion were provincial minister for revenue Makhdoom Mehboob Zaman, provincial minister for rehabilitation Faraz Dero, Board of Revenue Senior Member Qazi Shahid Pervez and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority director general.

The visiting delegation comprised Michel Saad, the Pakistan head of the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; Cristina Brugiolo, the Unicef chief of field office Sindh; Dr Sara Salman, head of the World Health Organisation’s sub office; and Imran Khan Laghari, the provincial coordination officer of the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office.

Informing the UN delegation about the steps taken by the provincial government regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, the chief secretary said the Sindh government had taken serious steps since the first case of coronavirus appeared in February this year and the chief minister had been issuing a statement every day regarding the daily statistics of the pandemic.

“The Sindh government has set up the Coronavirus Emergency Fund,” the chief secretary said, added that medicines and personal protective equipment were purchased from that fund.

Appreciating the steps taken by the Sindh government, Dr Sara said the Sindh CM had taken very serious steps with regard to the coronavirus. “The WHO has been working with the government since the first day of coronavirus,” she said, adding that the public was still not taking the pandemic seriously and an effective media campaign might be launched to make the masses aware regarding the standard operating procedures during the pandemic.