Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of National Health in a dispatch to the Prime Minister’s Office has recommended one-time Civil Award to health workers over services in coronavirus pandemic, it was learnt on Thursday.
“The healthcare workers are working at the front-line since the first wave of the coronavirus,” the ministry wrote in a letter to the PM, according to sources.
“They have served without caring about their lives,” the letter read. “The health workers voluntarily served at the corona isolation wards and sacrificed lives in the line of the duty,” according to the ministry’s letter. “In the country, over 1.5 million Covid-19 cases have been reported and above 30,000 people died in the pandemic so far,” the letter read.
“Pakistan’s health sector faced severe hardships, over 19,000 health workers infected with the virus and 174 of them died with the infection”.
“All segments of the society have valiantly worked against the coronavirus.
In 2005 earthquake, those who had saved lives were awarded one-time civil awards. The government should announce the civil award for the healthcare workers with the title of ‘Order of Hayat’,” the health ministry recommended.
“The award should be given to those who had voluntarily served in corona wards,” the ministry further recommended.
According to sources, the health ministry will dispatch final names to the
cabinet division for civil awards, the cabinet committee will shortlist the
names for awards to the prime minister, who will recommend the president for
giving civil awards to the nominees, sources said.
“After the president’s approval the nominees will be given civil awards on
March 23,” sources added.
