OUR CORRESPONDENT
MUULTAN Provincial Health Minister, Dr Yasmin Rashid, announced to raise number of test for Coronavirus saying that Pakistan is conducting more tests than India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. She said that COVID-19 testing capacity will be increased to 5000 in Punjab by the end of this week. ‘Pakistan is conducting more tests for COVID19 than India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, We will raise the number of tests in days to come,’ She disclosed this while speaking at a press conference at circuit house here on Tuesday. Dr Yasmin informed that ratio of deaths due to viral disease was less than 2 percent in our country while most of them die of other complications too. Government will conduct five thousand test daily by this weekend, the minister said adding that only those who have travel history in addition to symptoms for pandemic will be tested. The minister stated that Nishtar Hospital had conducted 3608 test so far and its laboratory was of level-III working. Sharing details of Personal Protection Equipment for Nishtar Hospitar, she claimed that the health facility had 2,000 safety kits adding that they were providing N-95 masks to all doctors working in it. ‘I speak to NMU VC, Dr Mustafa Kamal Pasha on daily basis to know situation of Nishtar Hospital. Level-III lab is working in it under the supervision of Dr Abbas Naqvi,’ She maintained. Dr Yasmin stated that she had visited Multan many times after taking the charge of health minister adding that she has come today on Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi ‘s request to cater his concerns about medical staff of the health facility regarding PPEs and other facilities. ‘Shah sahib is our senior party leader. Someone might have told him about shortage of PPEs at Nishtar Hospital, That is Why, We have shared details of safety gear today disbursed in province from March 17 to April 20 with all of you.’ She noted. To a question, the minister informed that only seven out of 19 critical cases of Coronavirus were on ventilators and no ventilators of Nishtar hospital was shifted to Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital. Replying another question, she informed that as many as 4,227 confirmed cases of COVID-19 are in Punjab and most of them have travel history while 140 areas of the province were under complete lockdown due to viral cases
