Rahim yar khan -Chief Executive Officer (CEO) District Health Authority Dr Sakhawat Randhawa, briefing media regarding coronavirus on Thursday, said though the risk was low but threat was serious.
“District Health Authority Rahim Yar Khan is taking all necessary measures to save our population from this outbreak. We took all necessary steps weeks ago since it emerged as a major problem in China,” said Sakhawat.
He said, “Screening of Chinese working on different projects including CPEC in the district has been completed and we have established an effective communication channel with all stakeholders.”
“All persons with travel history from affected countries including China and Iran are being screened and a robust and effective mechanism has been adopted.”
“Control Room has been established in CEO DHA office and situation is being monitored round the clock. Isolation rooms and high dependency units are established and reserved for COVID-19 patients,” he added.
The CEO said doctors and paramedics were trained and capacity building sessions were being conducted as a continuous feature. “Personal protective equipment are available in sufficient quantity.”
He further stressed that wearing face mask was not necessary for general public. “Suspected patient of COVID-19, healthcare providers who are involved in screening and attendant of a COVID-19 patient need to wear this mask.” Panic buying of face masks was not needed and was being discouraged, he said.
SAP protests proposed
amendment in seed act
Seed Association of Pakistan (SAP) staged a protest demonstration against proposed amendment in Federal Seed Act after an emergency meeting held in Rahim Yar Khan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
They were of the view that if Federal seed Act was imposed the private seed companies across the country will close their businesses, and federal government would be responsible for that. SAP leaders were told in emergency meeting that according to the Federal Seed Act, if an amendment is made in the Federal Saeed Act, all provincial agriculture departments will be working under supervision of seed inspector authority which will open doors of corruption.
Addressing representatives of private seed companies who had gathered there from across the country, SAP leaders Rana Salman Mahmood and Chaudhry Khalil Ahmed said that interruption of the provincial department would only open the doors of corruption while the move will not improve quality of the seeds.
He said that private seed companies have been providing farmers the best certified seeds of almost all commodities for the past several years, while the Federal Seed Certification Registration Department was working for law enforcement and doing taking legal action and several lawsuits are filed each year in this regard. The owners and representatives of about 100 private seed companies from across Pakistan participated in the meeting.