SHC seeks govt reply on public awareness for COVID-19

KARACHI: Sindh High Court on Monday issued notice to the government of Sindh and provincial health department and summoned reply on March 06 in a petition seeking public awareness campaign on novel coronavirus outbreak and crackdown against hoarders of masks and medicines.
During the hearing, “What is the problem when the masks are available in the market,” the bench asked the petitioner. “The prices of medicines for the disease have soared,” the counsel of petitioner replied.
The petitioner sought a public awareness campaign over the coronavirus disease by the government and other concerned agencies.
The petitioner also pleaded for crackdown against the mafia involved in hoarding of surgical masks and its free distribution for safety from the novel coronavirus.
The bench adjourned the hearing till March 06.
It is to be mentioned here that recently the law enforcement agencies in a raid in Karachi recovered thousands surgical masks and arrested two persons involved in hoarding of masks after two cases of novel coronavirus reported in Pakistan.
The agency recovered 74,000 surgical masks and 200 infusion water drips from a place in the city, a spokesman of the agency said. It was reported earlier that after coronavirus cases reported in Pakistan, surgical masks were disappeared from the market and the cost surged by thousand percent.– Agencies