KOHAT: The fully automated PCR laboratory for Covid-19 tests solely for Kohat division will become operational here in a couple of days.

It has been received a week ago to rid the patients and health staff from the hazard of waiting for three days to receive test reports from Peshawar.

Dr Asif and Dr Afzal told additional deputy commissioner Bashir Ahmed and other officials that after its validation the lab would be activated in a few days.

Mr Ahmed said that it would benefit the suspected patients from Hangu, Kohat, Orakzai, Kurram and Karak districts who would receive their test results the very next day.

Meanwhile, the tehsil municipal committees of Kohat and tribal subdivision of Darra Adamkhel disinfected government buildings, hospitals, hujras and mosques against Covid-19.

The TMO, Kohat, Mohammad Shoeb and TMO Darra Adamkhel Gul Wali supervised the operations.

The new women and children hospital, livestock department, district secretariat complex, revenue department and anti-corruption department in Kohat were disinfected.

In Darra Adamkhel, the house of Covid- 19 positive Mohammad Zamir, a hujra and mosque in Mullahkhel, hujra of Mir Nawaz Qasimkhel, mosque of Awal Mir Sher Kallay and other such places were disinfected.

In a related development, a committee was formed by the home department under the additional deputy commissioner for implementation of SOPs for restoring economic activities.

RALLY IN SUPPORT OF POLICE: The civil society here took out a rally in support of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, terming their criticism as unjustified following the alleged role of a few in the stripping and torture case of Amir Tehkali.

The general public joined the gathering and raised slogans in support of the police.

Kohat Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Mohammad Iqbal and its former president Haji Rasheed said that police performed 12-hour duty in a shift in hot summers and winters.

They saidthat police had been defamed as a whole on social media, which was unfair. They gathered at the Martyrs’ Square where leaders of various organisations addressed the people.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2020