The Government of Pakistan has decided to accord martyr status to the health professionals who will lose their life in the line of duty, while serving the coronavirus patients.
This was announced by the Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Dr Zafar Mirza here, while addressing a press conference. Mirza said that the families of the deceased health professionals would be given a relief package at par with the martyrs of the armed forces.
Mirza said the package ranges from three million to 10 million rupees depending on job grade in addition to other benefits including official residence, and 100 percent pension to the family of the deceased. He said the assistance package would be applicable in the ICT, the Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The special assistant said it had been decided to devise national guidelines regarding use of personal protective equipment (PPE) across the country. He said provision of PPE to hospitals was smoothly underway through the NDMA.
On the occasion, he said that protection of lives of health professionals was the top priority of the government.
The special assistant said that the government had taken several steps to ensure provision of PPE kits to doctors and health workers besides their training.
Mirza said a comprehensive strategy had been planned for hospitals to provide treatment to corona patients.
He urged the people to observe official guidelines with regard to the Covid-19 so that the spread of the coronavirus could be stopped, adding that during the Ramzan it had been noted that people were not following the guidelines, which could prove fatal.
He reminded the people if they continued ignoring the guidelines, the government would be forced to enforce strict lockdown, especially during iftari and sehri.
He said that he had held consultative meetings with the office bearers of Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and relevant members of the cabinet with regard to safety and protection of the health professionals.
He further said that during past 24 hours 20 more people died of coronavirus in various parts of the country, which was the biggest tally of a single day in the country.
Total Covid-19 patients in Pakistan are 14,080, and during past 24 hours, 751 people have been tested positive of Covid 19 in the country. Pakistan, so far, has conducted over 157,000 Covid-19 tests, he said.
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