QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani has paid tribute to doctors, nurses, paramedics, and security forces as well as sanitary staff for their efforts in the fight against coronavirus for the last 100 days.

Speaking at a ceremony held at Fatima Jinnah Chest Hospital on Saturday evening, the chief Minister said that initially the provincial government had no knowledge on how to deal with the virus but later the Balochistan government was the first province to respond to the pandemic in the country.

Lamenting over debate on mainstream media regarding poor healthcare in Balochistan, the chief minister said Balochistan remained a downtrodden province and their healthcare should not be compared with other provinces as they did not have even adequate private health structure.

“During the pandemic, we attempted to ensure quality health services in government hospitals while private hospitals in other provinces remained overwhelmed with corona patients,” Jam Kamal said, adding that they just lauded health workers by addressing pressers but doctors and paramedics had been facing risk on ground.

Referring to social and economic changes that surfaced in Balochistan amid Covid-19 pandemic, the chief minister said the virus had brought major changes in business and normal living standards.

He said that the Balochistan government had increased provincial health budget up to 40pc and Rs8 billion had been allocated for coronavirus while the federal had pledged funds for Balochistan.

The chief minister lauded performance of health secretary Dostain Khan Jamaldini in resolving major issues in the provincial health sector.

Provincial minister for finance Meer Zahoor Buledi and health secretary Jamaldini lauded the health workers fighting the pandemic.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2020