KP Chief Minister Inaugurates Newly Established Molecular (PCR) Laboratory In Swat

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan along with Federal Minister for Communication, Murad Saeed Thursday paid a day long visit to Swat district to review the corona situation and the arrangements made by the district administration to contain the outbreak of the corona pandemic

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Apr, 2020 ) :Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan along with Federal Minister for Communication, Murad Saeed Thursday paid a day long visit to Swat district to review the corona situation and the arrangements made by the district administration to contain the outbreak of the corona pandemic.

During his trip the Chief Minister visited Saidu Hospital and inaugurated Molecular (PCR) Laboratory.

The newly established lab will cater for the testing requirements of corona suspects at local level.

Initially the laboratory has a capacity of 70 tests per day which will be increased to 100 per day within the next couple of days.

The Chief Minister also visited isolation center established at PTDC Motel Saidu Sharif and quarantine center established at Jahanzaib College Hostel to review the arrangements put in place therein.

Provincial Ministers Muhibullah Khan, Amjad Ali Khan and members provincial and national assemblies elected from Swat were also present on the occasion.

Talking to media men on the occasion, Mahmood Khan said that besides important steps to affectively deal with the corona situation, the provincial government was working on increasing the testing capacity for the corona suspects across the province.

He added that public health laboratories was being established at all divisional headquarters of the province to cater for the increasing requirements of corona tests.

He termed the establishment of the Molecular (PCR) Lab at Swat as an important progress.

He hoped the laboratory will cater the futuristic need of conducting tests for entire Malakand division in case of any epidemic.

Mahmood Khan maintained that instead of holding meetings in his office, he preferred to go in the field and review the arrangements made by the district administrations to deal with the prevailing situation.

Expressing utmost satisfaction on the arrangements made by the district administration, Mahmood Khan said that efforts being taken by the administration would not yield the desired results if the citizens did not extend cooperation.

He urged the citizens to cooperate with the local administration by minimizing their unnecessary movements and maintaining socials distancing.

"In view of the gravity of the situation, the government has taken some difficult decisions including that of partial lockdown just to protect the common man,"the Chief Minister remarked.

He said that the provincial government had allocated a relief package worth Rs. 13 billion to benefit 2.1 million deserving families of the province in addition to one lac households to be covered under zakat funds.

Replying to a question, the Chief Minister said in view of the decisions taken in the last meeting of National Coordination Committee, the construction industry along with its allied business units and low risk industries are being opened subject to the implementation of proper guidelines and SOPs with the aim to enable the daily wagers earn their livelihood.

Earlier the Chief minister and Federal minister for Communication were given a detail briefing by the district administration regarding the arrangements made in the prevailing situation.

Regarding the newly established laboratory, it was informed that it was established within just four days period with an initial capacity of 70 tests per day.

Regarding corona cases in the district it was told that there were a total of 510 suspected and 65 confirmed cases of corona, 510 tests had been conducted so far, out of which 353 were cleared, results of 92 were still awaited whereas 11 corona patients were fully recovered and the death toll in the district was only five.

"Quarantine centers have been established in three different places with a total capacity of 1100 individuals"; it was informed and added that isolation centers were set up in five different points with a total capacity of 770 beds whereas a High Dependency Unit was also established with a capacity of 31 beds.