MANSEHRA: The Mansehra police have provided personal protective equipment to their personnel deployed at entry and exit points of quarantine centres and other vulnerable places in the district as a preventive measure against novel coronavirus.

“We will gradually give away protective gear to all members of our force,” district police officer Sadiq Baloch told a ceremony here on Friday.

He said besides doctors and health workers, the police also performed on the forefront to combat Covid-19.

NULLAH CLEANING: The tehsil municipal administration on Friday began cleaning nullahs and sewers here.

“We have moved shovel machines and sanitation staff to clear nullahs and sewerage lines of silt and other waste,” tehsil municipal officer Mohammad Azhar told reporters.

BLOOD DONATION: Over 300 thalassaemia patients registered with two blood donation centres here haven’t got transfusion due to the reluctance of donors and Covid-19 lockdown.

“Things have been grim for thalassaemia patients since the government enforced a lockdown as the people are not coming to centres for blood donations,” former head of a United Nations Population Fund regional office Dr Mohammad Ali here on Friday.

He said 300 thalassaemia patients aged between six months and 22 years were registered with Khandan Blood Donors and Kashmir Blood Donor organisations in the city but most of them hadn’t been transfused with blood since the government imposed the lockdown.

“We have launched a special drive to approach people particularly teenagers for blood donation for these children,” he said.

He said the campaign would continue until the situation returned to a complete normalcy.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2020