ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Friday unveiled a comprehensive special package for the frontline health workers dealing with coronavirus patients, offering financial incentives, security, training and national recognition of their services, while fighting Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking at a news conference, Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza said that the federal and provincial governments would be responsible for the implementation on the special package, which was being prepared in consultations with the provincial health ministers and health experts.
He shared seven points of the package with the media, which included financial incentives, security and protection, training, support to the frontline health workers and their families, healthcare of the frontliners and their families, and recognition of their services at national level.
Financial incentives will include extending financial support from the "Martyrs' Fund" from Rs3 million up to Rs10 million, on the basis of their scales, to those health workers sacrificing their lives in the line of their duty, besides giving them tax exemption in their tax returns, Dr Mirza added.
Under the package, he said that the government would provide security and protection to the health workers who were frequently facing chaotic situations from the families of those patients who died during treatment at the hospitals.
To prevent character assassination of health workers in media, Dr Mirza said that the government was in touch with the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to make sure that the frontline health workers were not the subject of criticism in the media.
He said that the government planned to impart training to up to 100,000 health workers for dealing with Covid-19 patients, adding that 20,000 health workers and doctors had already received the training, and it was ongoing on a daily basis.
Under the "We Care" initiative, Dr Mirza said that psychological support would be extended to the health workers where they could contact experts to take psychological support whenever needed.
He said that the frontline health workers and their families would be provided testing facilities on priority basis and the government would provide medicines and bear their expenses at public and private hospitals, if they and their family members get infected with the Covid-19 virus.
Besides, Dr Mirza added that the private sector hospitals would be provided soft loans for giving salaries to their staff members as well as those hospitals would also be given tax exemption in importing equipment and necessary machineries from abroad.
To recognise the services of the frontline health workers, he said that those who had lost their lives in line of their duties would be given national recognition and rich tribute would be paid to them on the eve of September 6 - Defence Day.
Dr Mirza said that it was the government's top priority to support the frontline healthcare workers - doctors, nurses and paramedics - directly involved with taking care of the coronavirus patients.
He said that the infection rate of the frontline health workers in Pakistan was three percent, adding that it was very low compared to the rest of the world.
He said the doctors, nurses and other paramedics who were working in emergencies, quarantine and isolation centers caring the patients of coronavirus were national heroes and their protection was the main responsibility of the government.
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