ISLAMABAD: Federal planning and development minister Asad Umar said Wednesday the country has sufficient space in hospitals to accommodate patients at present which can run out with increasing Covid cases, ARY News reported.
Present today in ARY News program Power Play, planning minister Asad Umar said the dual standards of oppositi0n leaders are visible as on one hand, they are calling on the masses to join their power shows while on the other Asif Ali Zardari is demanding Covid report from his family function participants.
The federal minister said that back in October, the Covid infectivity rate was between 1.8- to 1.9 per cent which in the running month has hiked to 5 pc. He said with increasing infections the number of patients in the hospital is surging as well.
With the speed of Covid cases in the country, we will soon have a medical emergency, Asad Umar said, adding that within coming weeks the country is looking at a June-like situation when the pandemic outbreak topped in Pakistan.
He lamented that opposition parties have reassured their supporters that Covid is nothing to be worried over and the Pakistan Democratic Movement alliance is mobilizing people to attend their political rallies at a point when the second Covid wave is peaking.
READ: World Bank signs $19.8m aid to Pakistan for education sector
Separately earlier today, the World Bank has pledged to provide US$19.85 million to Pakistan for the country’s response, recovery, and resilience in the education sector amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
According to the agreement materialized today in the presence of economic affairs minister Makhdum Khusro Bakhtiyar, the country director of World Bank Najy Benhassine signed the funds to Pakistan for the education project.
The project of WB is aimed at strengthening federal and provincial actions towards the education sector so a proper response can be concreted and to support the country’s short term recovery in this sector from the COVID-19 crises.
