BAHAWALPUR: The government will establish a Bio-Safety-4 level laboratory in the city within a couple of days, say officials.

The information was shared at a meeting chaired by Punjab Food Minister Samiullah Chaudhry, in-charge minister to supervise the coronavirus protective measures in the district.

The Bio-Safety-4 level laboratory would be equipped to carry out the tests of coronavirus and other infectious diseases. Such a government laboratory already exists in Lahore to conduct the tests required to ascertain the symptoms of coronavirus.

Officials of the health department and other related departments in addition to Divisional Commissioner Asif Iqbal Chaudhry and Deputy Commissioner Shozeb Saeed were present. The officials briefed the minister on the measures taken to fight the pandemic in the district.

The officials said six university hostels had been converted into quarantine centres which were ready in all respects to lodge about 1,500 pilgrims coming from Iran. The centres had been equipped with all necessary facilities.

The commissioner said the family of each pilgrim who would be quarantined would be given ration worth Rs10,000. He said the staff members of the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB), officials of the district and divisional administration and the local doctors and paramedical staff had offered their services voluntarily to serve in any emergency here.

The minister urged the general public to stay indoors and assured them that the government would provide testing kits and other safety gear to the medics and paramedical staff looking after the Iran pilgrims and providing treatment to the coronavirus patients at the Government Civil Hospital.

The minister inspected the quarantine centres at the IUB hostels and the civil hospital. Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Yousaf Rana informed the minister that 107 of the 410 beds had been prepared for the coronavirus patients. He said none of the suspected patients had been tested positive.

He said a contingent of more than 100 medics assisted by their paramedical staff and equipped with 27 ventilators were ready to administer treatment to the patients.

The BVH too had made arrangements and provided more than 50 ventilators to meet any emergency.

BVH officiating medical superintendent Dr Aslam Malik told Dawn that this included 30 ventilators of new ICU, eight of neuro ward and nine of emergency ward of the hospital. He said four ventilators had been reserved for the isolation ward at the ICU.

IUB Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Athar Mehboob expressed the hope that the nation on the occasion of the Pakistan Day would stand tall against the pandemic. He asked the students and the teachers to remain confined to their homes and avoid public contact.

Most public places including markets remained closed on Sunday in line with the government directives.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2020