PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has claimed that there is no wheat flour crisis in the province and that the food department has enough stocks to last till May.

Ajmal Wazir, a government spokesperson, told a press conference on Sunday that the food department had at present 180,000 tons of wheat stock which was enough to last till May. He said a special package would be given to the departments and the personnel fighting on the frontlines against coronavirus pandemic.

He said 271,000 masks had so far been distributed by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority in various districts, while 2,000 litres of sanitisers had been given free of charge to the general public through civil defence volunteers. He said a stock of 50,000 N95 masks from NDMA would reach Peshawar on Monday (today).

He said the government was enhancing the coronavirus testing facilities in the province, adding besides Khyber Medical University and Hayatabad Medical Complex, private Rehman Medical Institute had also been allowed to conduct coronavirus tests.

He said testing facilities would also be provided to the hospitals in the districts.

Mr Wazir said instructions had been given to all divisional commissioners to take strict action against hoarders and profiteers.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2020