ISLAMABAD: A major shipment of clinical and diagnostic equipment to deal with the coronavirus pandemic is going to arrive in Pakistan on Thursday, a senior health official told Arab News.
“This procurement of medical equipment was done through UNICEF in coordination with the Ministry of Health. We have focused not only on clinical but also diagnostic equipment for our medical teams,” Malik Muhammad Safi, director general for health, told Arab News on Wednesday. He added that personal safety equipment such as N-95 masks and protective wear for medical workers have also been purchased.
The Ministry of Planning allocated $238 million from the World Bank for COVID-19 emergency response and to address the socio-economic disruption the outbreak has caused.
“This amount of $238 million from the World Bank is a soft loan and to be utilized through UNICEF,” Safi said.
“We have also ordered medical equipment like ventilators and testing lab kits. Once this consignment will be delivered to us by UNICEF, we will use it to establish 42 testing labs at each divisional headquarters of Pakistan,” he said, adding that the ministry has already established testing labs in Peshawar, Gilgit, Quetta, Taftan, Lahore, and Karachi.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Health (NIH) is developing locally made testing kits.
“We have acquired sufficient quantity of testing kits and NIH has sent 2,000 kits to Punjab and 1,000 to Gilgit-Baltistan on Tuesday. One kit can take around 96 tests. We have also procured another 2 million kits from China, which will arrive by the end of month,” Safi said.
The National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) granted $50 million to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday to deal with the health crisis.
“This funding is for six months duration with an objective to effectively respond to minimize impact of coronavirus, through surveillance strengthening, case management, infection prevention and protection of medical and para medical staff through provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other materials for COVID-19 response,” the NDMA said in a statement.
The World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and International Money Fund (IMF) have announced $14 billion, $6.5 billion and $50 billion respectively in initial packages to support companies and countries in their efforts to prevent, detect and respond to the rapid spread of COVID-19.
Pandemic response: Medical equipment to reach Pakistan on Thursday, says health ministry
https://arab.news/4a7bv
Pandemic response: Medical equipment to reach Pakistan on Thursday, says health ministry
- Health director general says 2 million test kits from China will arrive by the end of month
- Ministry of Planning allocated $238 million from the World Bank for COVID-19 emergency response
Pakistan telecom regulator urges restraint on social media amid regional tensions
- PTA warns against sharing unverified content, says legal action may follow ‘fake news’
- Advisory comes as Pakistan strikes targets in Afghanistan and Iran faces US, Israeli attacks
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s telecom regulator on Saturday urged citizens to avoid sharing “unverified or inflammatory” content online, warning that legal action could be taken against those spreading misinformation amid what it described as a “sensitive national situation.”
The advisory from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) comes as Islamabad says it is targeting militant positions inside Afghanistan following a recent flareup between the two neighbors, while Iran is under attack by the United States and Israel in an escalating regional conflict that has heightened security concerns across South and West Asia.
“In view of the prevailing sensitive national situation, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) urges all citizens to be responsible while using social media and digital platforms,” the regulator said in a statement posted on X.
The PTA advised citizens “not to share, disseminate, forward, or upload any unverified, inflammatory, or misleading information/content that may directly or indirectly harm the national interest, public order, or state institutions.”
It said people should instead rely on authentic information based on official sources and refrain from spreading rumors and “fake news.”
“Sharing any fake news/information is liable to legal action in accordance with applicable laws,” the authority said, calling on citizens to act with “caution, maturity, and a strong sense of national responsibility” to help maintain stability and public confidence.
Pakistan in recent years has witnessed increasingly stringent implementation of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), a cybercrime law that has drawn criticism from rights groups, with journalists and activists arrested and prosecuted under its provisions.
