Medical Professionals Provided Best Facilities Against COVID-19: Dr. Yasmin Rashid

LAHORE, May 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th May, 2020 ) :Provincial Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid on Friday said the government had provided the best facilities to the doctors and paramedical staff to contain COVID-19 pandemic in the province.

Responding to a question during the Punjab Assembly session here, she said the government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, had adopted effective measures to deal with the deadly virus, adding that the number of coronavirus tests had been increased besides providing immaculate facilities to the coronavirus patients at the quarantine centers.

Earlier, Punjab Assembly session started 1 hour 40 minutes behind its scheduled time of 2 pm with Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the chair. As many as 100 parliamentarians from the opposition and the treasury attended the PA session as per the standard operating procedures (SoPs) while the members maintained a safe distance between one another during the session. All the members entered the house wearing masks and gloves to attend the special session of the PA.

Speaking on a point of order, Opposition member Samiullah Khan hailed Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi who led the house to discuss the situation in the province in the wake of coronavirus despite the fact that there was an air of fear due to the pandemic in the country. "I congratulate all political parties and their members for this act of valor in the face of the deadly virus", he added.

Samiullah Khan criticized the absence of provincial secreatry Health from the house during the session which was convened by the opposition parties to discuss the coronavirus situation in the province while he was informed by the Chair that the Health secretary had sought permission to leave the house to receive PPEs from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to fight coronavirus.

The house was opened, by the Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, for the general discussion on coronavirus and fiscal budget of the year 2020-21. Opposition member Khawaja Salman Rafique demanded subsidy and other facilities for the farmers in the wake of coronavirus.

Treasury Member Umer Tanvir advised the opposition to fight opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif's case in the court of law as he was sent behind the bars on a judicial order rather than an executive order.

Rejecting any political victimization, he said, PML-N supermo Nawaz Sharif was removed from power during the rule of the PML-N while he was enjoying the cool summer of London during the PTI-led government while PML-N President was resting in the cosy comfort of his home today.

Reacting to the protest by the opposition members in the house, Umer Tanvir said coronavirus patients were fast recovering but former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was no way near recuperation from illness. He said Nawaz Sharif should come back and face the cases pending against him.

Opposition member Usman Mehmood criticized opposition party PML-N for removing his name from the list, adding that the PML-N was a party of time-servers which had always caused embarrassment to its allied parties.

MPA Syed Yawar Bukhari urged the opposition to avoid political point-scoring on coronavirus situation in the province.

Earlier Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat tabled seven ordinances before the house which the chair referred to the relevant standing committees.

Later, Speaker PA Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi adjourned the house till May 11 (Monay) at 11 a.m.