LAHORE: With 31 more fatalities, as many as 2,514 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported across the province in the last 24 hours taking the provincial tally to 52,601 cases.
As per the government's Covid-19 portal, after 31 more deaths, the death toll has reached to 969. The total number of recovered people in the province of Punjab has risen to 17,650 while the total number of recovered patients across the country is 51,735.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that the people have started buying injections [Actemra] and keeping them thinking that this would save their lives. In a tweet, she said: "Hoarders should fear God. It is God and not these injections that save lives. Create ease for other people during difficult times, keep humanity alive."
She also said that it is "not yet confirmed" whether Covid-19 patients who recovered from the virus did so solely because they were injected with doses of Actemra, which is a trial drug. "The chief minister has given us permission to conduct a trial with 1,000 Actemra doses. We will airlift these injections if more are needed," she said.
It may be noted that DRAP has allowed the Punjab government to import these injections from the USA. Punjab Information Minister Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan said that smart and targeted lockdown is best way to stop the spread of novel coronavirus.
"Prime Minister Imran Khan has been emphasizing on policy of smart lockdown from day one and Usman Buzdar is running affairs of Punjab according to vision of Imran Khan," he said.
He further said the Punjab government has taken action against 7,000 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) violations in the province. Instead of criticism, it is time to get united to fight the virus, he said. He also appealed to people and traders to follow SOPs and play a positive role.
On the other hand, a pharmaceutical company (Getz Pharma) committed to its mission of providing quality healthcare for the community at large has initiated the national 'Care for Heroes' campaign to protect the frontline health workers.
In Punjab disinfection drive was conducted to disinfect hospitals and doctors' clinics in Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan and Rahim Yar Khan using a WHO approved disinfecting material CHEMGENE HLD4.
The vice-chancellor, University of Health Sciences Lahore Prof Dr Javed Akram said: "We at University of Health Sciences and Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine thank Getz Pharma for caring for the healthcare community during this time of crisis. Disinfection of our clinics and hospitals, provision of PPEs, masks and antibody testing's are major steps taken by Getz Pharma for our personal protection, and for that, we are deeply grateful".
The company successfully disinfected a total of 325 wards and 3,137 clinics in upper and lower Punjab. The disinfected hospitals in Lahore include Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Jinnah Hospital, Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, Lahore General Hospital, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Gulab Devi Hospital, Children Hospital, Lady Willingdon Hospital, Lady Aitchison Hospital, and Fatima Memorial Hospital. While in Multan and in other parts of Punjab Getz Pharma successfully disinfected Nishtar Hospital, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, District Headquarter Hospital, Gujranwala and District Headquarter Hospital, Sialkot.