Category: Quetta

Quetta:A high level meeting held here on Tuesday with Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan in the chair reviewed the facilities provided to hospitals in the wake of novel corona virus pandemic.

An approval was accorded for up-gradation of oxygen plant of Fatima Jinnah Chest and General Hospital and release of fund for increasing ICU beds in the same hospital.

Giving briefing, Secretary Health Mudasir Waheed Malik said the arrival of one more PCR machine and testing kits for conducting test of covid-19 had increased the capacity of testing in Quetta, adding that technicians who have recently completed their laboratory training from Islamabad have already been posted in Fatima Jinnah Chest and General Hospital Quetta.

The meeting was informed that random testing of 5000 persons would start within two days. Secretary Health Mudasir Waheed Malik said that health related equipments purchased with twenty Crore rupees have already been given to Heath Department for testing of novel corona virus.

Secretary Food informed the meeting that supply of wheat to the flour mills would commence Wednesday from the available stock of wheat, adding that all preparation had been made to purchase one million bags wheat from new crops.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan said, “Covid-19 has exposed the deficiencies of health system and hospitals and no mechanism had been chalked out which made the responsible accountable”.

Jam Kamal Khan said previously five hundred million rupees had been released for the oxygen plants of three hospitals of Quetta. He said those who had wasted people’s money would have to be answerable. He added policies on permanent basis were required rather than firefighting practice. He remarked emergency phase had passed and now timely decisions were required to be made on need basis.

Expressing concern over the local transmission of covid-19, Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan said preparation had to be made in accordance with the situation. He said all the departments would have to work as per the assigned tasks.

Quetta:Balochistan Food Authority has imposed ban on use of Acetylene gas (Calcium Carbide) for ripening of fruits in the province, says a notification issued by Balochistan Food Authority.

The notification further says, “Moreover, use of calcium carbide is highly harmful for human health which causes cancer, intestine infection, loss of memory, insomnia and other fatal diseases. The use if this chemical for ripening fruits is liable to be punished under the Balochistan Food Authority Act, 2014”.

Quetta:A committee has been constituted to oversee and supervise the work of Strategic Planning Reforms Cell (SPRC). A notification issued by Planning and Development Department, Government of Balochistan says, “In continuation of this Department’s earlier Notification number P and D.A.1 (16-P)/ 2020/ 6869, dated 14th January, 2020 regarding establishment of the Strategic Planning Reforms Cell (SPRC), the following committee is hereby constituted to oversee and supervise the work of SPRC:

Additional Chief Secretary (Dev), Planning and Development Department Chairman, Secretary Planning, Secretary Implementation, Chief Economist, Chief of Section Foreign Aid, Chief of Section CPEC/PPP, Chief of Section Planning Studies members, Director SPRC Secretary and co-opted members (on need basis from time to time).

Notification further says, “The committee shall meet on a quarterly basis to undertake the following functions; provide input on the work planned or carried out by SPRC, ensure that SPRC’s work is aligned with the need and goals of Planning and Development Department and the Government of Balochistan.

QUETTA:Two children died and a man injured in a road accident on Sibi Road on Wednesday.

The incident occurred when a speedy car turned turtle, said rescue sources. Bodies and injured were shifted to Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Quetta where the deceased were identified as Muhammad Ibrahim S/O Abdul Rehman, 12, and Muhammad Fahad S/O Abdul Rehman, 10, while the injured was identified as Hazoor Bakhsh.

QUETTA:Two miners died in an incident in a coal mine of Harnai on Tuesday.

Police said the incident took place when the rope of a trolley broke and it fell on two coal miners busy in their work.

Later, the bodies were taken out from coal mine and shifted to hospital where the victims were identified as Matiullah and Akhtar Muhammad. After completion of medico-legal formalities, the bodies were handed over to heirs.

QUETTA:Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajiran Balochistan has rejected extension in lockdown till April 30.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday along with other office-bearers, Abdul Rahim Kakar, President Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajiran Balochistan said that traders of the province were facing losses of millions of rupees. He said, “The decision of federal government whereby the lockdown has been extended till April 30 is not acceptable to us”.

He said parleys were held with provincial government in connection with the lockdown and the government’s negotiating team had agreed to open shops and business centers phase wise.

Quetta:Government of Balochistan has decided to expedite new and ongoing development schemes reflected in the PSDP. A meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan for reviewing progress of ongoing and new development schemes reflected in PSDP decided to allocate the required funds for the schemes that are near to their completion.

Abdul Rehman Buzdar, Additional Chief Secretary (Dev), Planning and Development Department, Government of Balochistan gave briefing regarding authorization of funds made so far for the ongoing and new development schemes reflected in the PSDP while Noor ul Haq Baloch Secretary Finance Department briefed participants of the meeting about the fund released by Finance Department.

Meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Balochistan Fazeel Asghar, Provincial Ministers Mir Zahoor Buledi, Mir Arif Jan Muhammad Hasni and Secretary Communication and Works Department Noor-ul-Amin Mengal.