Hospitals’ situation totally under control: Asad Umar

• He said the media should also raise voices of the impoverished people who were facing financial crisis due to lockdown imposed in the country.
• The minister added that the government was gradually increasing the testing capacity and since middle of March, the capacity had been increased by 27 times.
• He informed that the government was actively working on Testing, Tracking and Quarantining (TTQ) technique in the country which was yielding positive results.

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Friday said that keeping in mind the current pace of corona virus cases in the county, the situation in hospitals would remain under control for at least next six weeks.

“The government’s decisions of maintaining balance between controlling corona virus and easing lockdown has proved effective as we are not expecting any such situation in which hospital system could go out of control,” he said while addressing a televised press briefing led by Prime Minister Imran Khan here.

Asad Umar who is also chairman of National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) on corona virus, said the media has played effective role in creating awareness among the masses about the virus.

“Media is creating continuous and effective awareness and educating he people how the virus could be controlled,” he added.

However he said the media should also raise voices of the impoverished people who were facing financial crisis due to lockdown imposed in the country.

He said the government was moving forward with a balanced and an integrated approach to keep the virus in control besides opening up selected sectors to provide the daily wagers opportunities to ear their livelihood.

The minister added that the government was gradually increasing the testing capacity and since middle of March, the capacity had been increased by 27 times.

Appreciating the role of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the minister said it had done a great job by ensuring supply of masks, ventilators and other essential items on time.

Asad Umar said where there was breach of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to prevent spread of COVID-19 by some people, there were many businesses where the traders were fully implementing the SOPs.

He informed that the government was actively working on Testing, Tracking and Quarantining (TTQ) technique in the country which was yielding positive results.