STAFF REPORTER
ISLAMABAD Like always, Pakistan Army is once again in the forefront of fighting a national challenge, with army institutions and doctors fully assisting the civil administration and utilizing all resources at their disposal to effectively combat coronavirus outbreak. Following a meeting of the National Security Committee, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa instructed all the formations of Pakistan Army to reach out to the civil administration even at district and tehsil levels in their respective domains to control the crisis. While scientists under the supervision of Pakistan Army are busy researching and manufacturing personal protection equipment, such as facemasks and hand sanitisers, a ‘medical plan of action’ has been compiled under the supervision of the surgeon general of Pakistan Army to support government efforts to fight the disease. Personnel of the armed forces are helping out screening of passengers at all operational airports within the country, besides screening, scanning, and shifting of the suspect cases at all the entry points of the country Besides, all the medical facilities of the armed forces are being utilized for assistance and load management of coronavirus patients at the moment. Pakistan Army has helped establish a 10,000- bed field hospital at Karachi’s Expo Centre. A special quarantine centre has also been established by the Pakistan Army to facilitate patients. The hospital is meant to isolate and treat confirmed patients of the coronavirus in a safe and secure environment, away from common people and other patients in the city. The Medical Corps of Pakistan Army has come forward to help in the establishment of the field hospital on the request of the Sindh government. Moreover, army and the Rangers are assisting in operating health facilities in Sukkur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan. The Pakistan Army is also assisting the civil administration in physical and information domains to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and the information and health ministries have collectively formed a ‘Risk Communication Strategy’ aimed at leaving no communication gap between the people and the institutions as well as busting all negative propaganda and misinformation doing rounds on the social media. In his latest directions on Saturday, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has ordered the armed forces to fast-track operations to help out the civil administration in controlling the coronavirus. However, he urged the public to protect themselves on the individual level. He said the Pakistan Army as a part of the national effort will leave no stone unturned to protect the nation.
