LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday set up the Corona Crisis Management Committee to monitor the overall situation of COVID-19, demand and supply of essential commodities (especially medicines and food items) and check hoarding in the province.

The decision to form the committee was taken at a meeting presided over by Chief Secretary retired Maj Azam Suleman Khan. Administrative secretaries of health and other relevant departments, and the Lahore division commissioner attended the meeting whereas divisional commissioners and regional police officers joined the meeting through video link.

The chief secretary said that in the prevailing situation, it’s the prime responsibility of the government to protect lives of people and ensure availability of essential items to them. He asked the administrative officers to take stern action against those involved in hoarding and profiteering of eatables, face masks and sanitisers.

He also gave orders regarding strict implementation of directions issued by the federal and Punjab governments to prevent coronavirus.

The committee comprising nine members would work under the leadership of Special Secretary Home Department Iqbal Hussain. It would hold meeting daily at 11am and monitor overall situation of COVID-19 in the province. It would also oversee the demand and supply of essential commodities (particularly medicines and food items), besides acting against hoarding.

The committee would ensure implementation of Section 144 imposed to enforce anti-virus measures and present its report to the chief secretary on a daily basis regarding patients in quarantine, isolation centres and high dependency units established in hospitals.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2020