Nine more fall victim to corona in Multan

MULTAN: Nine more coronavirus patients, including six males and three females, died at the Nishtar Hospital here on Tuesday.

The deceased were identified as Rana Ghulam Yasin, 59, Khalida Bibi, 40, of Muzaffargarh, Shahnaz, 28, Muhammad Ilyas, 60, Jehangir Khan, 70, of Khanewal, Ghazanfar Ali, 73, Zahira Bibi, 60, Muhammad Ashraf, 60, all belonged to Multan, and Nazar Muhammad, 70, of Lodhran.

Total 257 corona patients were under treatment at the Nishtar Hospital, including 118 positive, 96 suspected and 43 negative. A considerable decline is observed in corona positive rating to 3.77pc in Multan division, including Multan 3.7pc, Khanewal 1.42pc, Vehari 6.25pc and Lodhran 11.27pc.

The hospitals in Multan division conducted 2,707 corona tests during the last 24 hours and 102 patients tested positive. In Multan district, 2,018 corona tests were conducted and 62 patients tested positive while 16 patients tested positive in Vehari where 142 tests were conducted. Similarly, Lodhran district conducted 142 corona tests and 16 persons tested positive. Only three patients tested positive in Khanewal after 211 corona tests.

Skyrocketing prices of chicken perturbs masses: The broiler chicken prices have gone skyrocketing in the city and the citizens are unable to buy poultry meat also after a surge in mutton, sugar and flour prices.

The citizens complained that the broiler prices had gone beyond their limits, a market survey conducted by The News revealed.

The broiler meat prices have jumped to Rs 420 to Rs 450 per kilogram in Multan. The rates of chicken boneless prices had reached Rs 650 to Rs 700 per kilogram.

“I have decided to quit the business but I do not have alternate sources to earn livelihood for my children. The broiler suppliers are dispatching trucks carrying chicken to Karachi and Quetta to earn additional profit. The government has no check on chicken prices”, said a broiler vendor Khuda Baksh. He sells broilers across Gulgasht area on a cart due to lack of affording high rent of shops. The customers avoid buying chicken at such a high price, he said. Muhammad Siddique, another chicken seller at Chungi No 9, said that rising prices had not only disturbed consumers but also hit their sales thus reducing their daily income.

Talking to The News, Pakistan Poultry Association Multan chapter president Mehr Ghazanfar said that the current high prices were due to an increase in the prices of poultry feed, depreciation in rupees value against dollar, which almost doubled the prices of import components of poultry industry. The price of poultry products had jumped up due to the increase in the cost of poultry feed which was imported and paid for in dollars, he told. Mehr said that reduction in the prices of chicken meat in the near future was hard due to wide gaps between the demand and supply. He said that the sector has suffered a lot during the last two years.

Interestingly, the chicken prices were going up against the official rates declared by the Multan Market Committee. The Market Committee had declared live bird rates at Rs 288 per kilogram and chicken meat at Rs 412 per kilogram for Tuesday. However, it was available at Rs 370 broiler alive and chicken meat at Rs 420 to Rs 450 per kilogram.

The citizens appealed to the government to bring down the prices of chicken, which was the only source of healthy alternative to red meat and cheapest among low income groups.

Meanwhile, the health personnel opined that chicken contains nutrients and it had tryptophan, an amino acid that was responsible for raising serotonin levels in the brain. Chicken provides vitamins and minerals involved in brain function. Dark and white meat chicken contains vitamin B12 and choline, which together may promote brain development in children, help the nervous system function properly and aid cognitive performance in older adults.

Security plan for Eid: City Police Officer Munir Masood Marth has issued a security plan in connection with the Eidul Fitr to maintain law and order situation.

According to the Eid security plan, the Eid prayers would be offered at 890 mosques, including 117 mosques listed in category ‘A’, the police spokesperson said.

Total 1,980 cops were deputed on security duties on the eve of Eid, which include four SPs, nine DSPs, 25 sub-inspectors, 83 sub-inspectors, 156 ASIs, 127 head constables and 1,576 constables, he told.

He informed that the Elite Force, Dolphan Force, Muhafiz Squad and police personnel would patrol in the city. Moreover, five reserve police corpses would remain standby at the police line, he added.

Additional police personnel would be deputed to prevent one wheeling in the city, he maintained. The CCTV cameras would be installed at different locations in the city, he continued. The police would ensure strict implementation of coronavirus SOPs during the Eid days, the spokesperson added. CPO Dr Munir Marth appealed to the citizens to cooperate with law enforcing agencies in curbing coronavirus.