-Urges Eidul Azha celebration with simplicity without throwing virus SOPs to the wind
-Says COVID-19 curve flattening
-Inaugurates Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Center in the Federal Capital
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan appealed to the masses to celebrate upcoming Eidul Azha with simplicity and not to grow careless and brush aside the government-defined health guidelines to keep coronavirus at bay.
Speaking to the media after inaugurating Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Center in the capital, the prime minister stressed that people should not throw caution to the wind this Eid as they did on Eidul Fitr, which, according to him, lead to a rapid increase in the number of cases, piling pressure on hospitals and healthcare workers.
“Eid is coming, we should not do what we did the previous Eid,” the prime minister emphasised, adding the country saw a surge in coronavirus cases following Eidul Fitr as the disease peaked.
He said the Covid-19 curve is flattening because of the government’s steps and provinces’ cooperation.
“We didn’t hope that it will go down so soon and expected it to peak by July-end,” PM Khan said, adding: “Pakistan is among a few countries where the number of infections is going down.”
He cautioned that the virus will spread rapidly if people exhibited carelessness, urging them to celebrate this Eid with simplicity and follow the SOPs.
The 250-bed isolation hospital has been constructed in record forty days at a cost of about Rs980 million. It will meet additional requirements to ease pressure on the capital’s hospitals.
The isolation hospital’s charge has been handed over to the National Disaster Management Authority. NDMA Chairman Lt. General Muhammad Afzal briefed the prime minister about the health facility.
Planning Minister Asad Umar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing, and other senior officials were also present on the occasion. Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday advised the people to celebrate the upcoming festival of Eid-ul-Azha with simplicity and not be careless as the COVID-19 curve was flattening in the country.
“I appeal to my people not to do again what they did on previous Eid (Eidul Fitr). Any public gathering reasons the spread of the virus and puts pressure on hospitals, doctors and nurses besides causing deaths,” the prime minister remarked talking to media persons after inaugurating the first-ever Isolation Hospital and Infections Treatment Centre here.
The Isolation Hospital and Infection Treatment Centre, which has 250 beds, has been built in just 40 days. The Chinese government had provided $4 million for the construction of the facility.
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa, Chinese Ambassador to Islamabad Yao Jing, and other high-ranking officials were present at the occasion too.
PM Imran credited the implementation of the smart lockdown across the country for bearing positive results.
The prime minister said the effective measures collectively taken by the provinces as advised by the NCOC, had amazingly led to the flattening of coronavirus curve even before the projected time frame. He said as the infection rate was on a downward trend, it could also surge again if the people showed negligence and violated the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
“I appeal the people to celebrate this Eid with simplicity. The SOPs have been formulated for the Eid. Just for sake of national economy and well being of old-aged people and already ailing people, it is essential to observe Eid with simplicity,” the prime minister said who earlier visited different sections of the hospitals after unveiling its plaque.
He lauded the tremendous work by the NDMA for completion of the facility in record 100 days period despite the lockdown impeding the movement of the people and transportation of material. He said the completion of such a specialised hospital manifested the political will of the government to carry out the challenging task in a difficult time. As of today, Pakistan has reported more than 240,800 cases of the coronavirus, and more than 4,900 deaths.
