LAHORE: Governor Chaudhry Sarwar has invited the opposition to join hands with the government in the fight against coronavirus pandemic.

“The entire world has given in to this dreadful virus as coping with it is not an easy task and the situation in the US is already before all of us,” he said.

The governor was speaking to media persons after inaugurating Corona Telemedicine Centre at Fatima Jinnah Medical University (FJMU) on Wednesday.

The governor said Prime Minister Imran Khan was monitoring the anti-coronavirus measures on a daily basis. He stressed that all political parties and philanthropists must also fulfil their responsibility of providing ration to the needy and the poor whose livelihood and wages were affected severely due to the pandemic.

To a question, the governor said that was not the time for the opposition to resort to criticism but to get united and move jointly and added that all 220 million Pakistanis would have to get united against coronavirus.

He said the government had made tough decisions and people must support it by following the safety measures. He said a road map had been evolved for provision of free ration to the poor and the government was taking effective steps. He advised the people to refrain from visiting hospitals and use telemedicine centres facility while staying at home so as to defeat the Covid-19.

The governor said doctors, paramedical staff and health professionals fighting on front line were nation’s heroes and added that over 5,000 medics and paramedics had volunteered at telemedicine centres.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2020