ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has directed the Rural Support Programme Network (RSPN) to extend its support to the Islamabad Capital Territory administration in curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

The NCOC has also asked the administration to engage NRSP volunteers in relief activity in the city.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), community mobilisation is imperative to raise awareness of the coronavirus among citizens, the NCOC noted.

During a meeting, Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said volunteers would be informed of their assignments and trained before they begin community mobilisation campaigns in their respective union councils.

These assignments include implementing standard operating procedures in mosques and commercial areas, tracing suspected Covid-19 patients, awareness raising and identifying people eligible for assistance in the community.

The NCOC was told that there are around 25,000 households in five union councils in Islamabad’s rural areas, of which NRSP volunteers have access to some 19,000.

Capital administration officials also apprised the NCOC of the initiatives taken to limit the spread of the coronavirus in Islamabad, and members of the Corona Relief Tiger Force from Islamabad were trained to carry out relief activities in the city.

The meeting was attended by officials from the NHS ministry, the capital administration and RSPN.

The NCOC has already directed all Rural Support Programmes across the country to increase community mobilisation in order to effectively contain the coronavirus.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

Trump’s folly
Updated 13 Feb, 2025

Trump’s folly

This latest pronouncement only reinforces the fears of those who see the plan as a blueprint for ethnic cleansing.
Corruption ranking
13 Feb, 2025

Corruption ranking

IT comes as little surprise. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2024, unveiled on...
Support from remittances
13 Feb, 2025

Support from remittances

EVEN though workers’ remittances dipped, albeit negligibly, in January on a month-over-month basis, the earnings...
Ill omens
Updated 12 Feb, 2025

Ill omens

One wonders whether institutional leadership realises the long-term ramifications of the ongoing "remaking" of judiciary.
Sunken dreams
12 Feb, 2025

Sunken dreams

ANOTHER tragedy has struck Pakistani migrants seeking a better future. A boat capsizing off the Libyan coast has ...
Hate in India
12 Feb, 2025

Hate in India

HISTORY shows that rulers use hate speech to provoke hate crimes and ‘othering’ among communities. Indian Prime...