Government to open essential industry in phases: Firdous

Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that Prime Minister Imran Khan is well aware of the issues occurring due to coronavirus and is planning a roadmap and policy for meeting the future challenges.
"The government was in consultation with the industry to chalk-out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding health and hygiene of the workers before granting permission", Dr Firdous said while talking to media during her visit of a quarantine centre here at the Jinnah Hospital on Saturday.
As many as 13 confirmed COVID-19 patients, besides five suspects are admitted in Jinnah Hospital quarantine centre. Dr Firdous also visited PCR (bio-safety) laboratory at the hospital. She inquired after the health of coronavirus patients admitted at the hospital.
Answering a question, Dr Firdous said the government had lifted ban on the goods transport for maintaining uninterrupted food supply while the permission for wheat reaping and the allied industry was part of government's efforts to save the country from impending economic challenges.
The government had earmarked Rs 280 billion for procurement of 8.2 million tonnes wheat in the country to spearhead economic activity, she said.
She further said the government would open the essential industry in phased manner to ensure that food-supply chain was not affected in the country. "The government was in consultation with the industry to chalk-out Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding health and hygiene of the workers before granting permission", she said.
Dr Firdous said the decision to grant status of industry to the construction sector was aimed at providing jobs to the unemployed labour in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.
Moreover, Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, in a tweet said clinical trials of ventilators in Pakistan were being started at Jinnah Hospital Lahore, Indus Hospital Karachi and CMH Rawalpindi.
Two approved designs of ventilators of Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) have been selected for this final phase which is a great development for Pakistan, he said, adding: "Out of 48 proposals initially, 02 designs based on prototype availability were sent for clinical testing permission to Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP)."