LAHORE                  -                 In the wake of coronavirus threat, sites have been identified to establish field hospitals across the province and a 1,000-bed field hospital would be functional in Expo Centre Lahore in a week’s time.

This was stated during a meeting held to review strategy to contain spread of coronavirus and maintain supply chain during lockdown in the province. Chief Secretary Punjab Major (r) Azam Suleman Khan, Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat, Inspector General of Police Shoaib Dastgir and officers concerned attended the meeting whereas all divisional commissioners and regional police officers (RPOs) joined the meeting through video link. The meeting decided that carpets should be removed from mosques and should be disinfected and the space between rows in congregational prayers should be doubled by skipping one line.

The Chief Secretary asked the secretary health to conduct visits to sites of field hospitals and complete arrangements regarding provision of beds and other facilities as early as possible. He directed that there should be no hurdle in free movement of good transport for supply of commodities, however action was to be taken against those using goods transport as private means of travelling.

He said that field officers should regularly visit jails and set up isolation wards there. He ordered that only prescribed number of persons should be allowed in private cars and stern action to be taken against the violators.

The meeting deliberated on a proposal to use railways and NLC for transportation of goods from Karachi. The IG Punjab told the meeting that at present 50,000 policemen were performing duties to enforce the government’s measures against coronavirus. The Senior Member Board of Revenue said that mask and hand sanitizers would be provided to the police very soon.