QUETTA: Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal on Monday chaired a meeting of the provincial cabinet to review provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to medics in the province amid coronavirus pandemic. According to details, the meeting mulled over the plans to providePPE kits to doctors and other demands put forward by the Young Doctors Association (YDA). A briefing given to the cabinet said that the doctors were provided protection kits as per their demands Sunday and more equipment would reach Quetta by Tuesday and would be disbursed among them. “We have already provided 13,000 N-95 masks to the to the doctors and paramedical staff in the province,” it said adding that the Provincial disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and health ministry had provided 2850 PPE kits among doctors. The briefing said that the government could only overcome coronavirus challenge if it fully equips the doctors to fight the infection. It is pertinent to mention here that earlier in the day, police resorted to baton-charge and arrested several doctors for staging a sit-in in the red zone near the Chief Minister’s House in Quetta. As per details, the young doctors were protesting against the lack of safety kits for doctors, paramedical staff treating coronavirus patients in Sheikh Zayed Hospital Quetta. Meanwhile, the provincial cabinet also approved tax exemptions for various sectors aimed at improving economic activity in the province during the time of pandemic. According to details, the provincial authorities announced exemption of sales tax on construction sector until 30 June along with exemption of sales tax on services charged for transport and hotel sectors. The cabinet also approved suspension of infrastructure and development cess, electric duty and motor vehicle tax. It also suspended the notification for increasing royalty rent fees on production.
