LHC directs govt to ensure availability of masks, hand sanitizers, life-saving drugs

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday directed the government to ensure the availability of surgical and protective masks, hand sanitizer, life-saving drugs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ARY News reported.

LHC judge Justice Sajid Mehmood conducted hearing on a plea filed against hike in prices of surgical masks, hand sanitizers, temperature guns, life-saving drugs.

The court directed the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and other respondents in the case to submit a reply till June 17.

Earlier on Sunday, the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) had allowed the private hospitals to purchase Tocilizumab [Actemra] Injection to treat the critically-ill patients of coronavirus.

The provincial healthcare commission ordered private hospitals to acquire Tocilizumab [Actemra] Injection for treating seriously-ill COVID-19 patients.

According to the directives, the hospitals comprising five or more beds dedicated for coronavirus patients were allowed to purchase the vital injection from the company. A two-member committee will issue formal permission to the hospital’s administration for the injection purchases after inspecting the patient.

According to the latest data released by the National Command and Operation Center, the death toll from COVID-19 in the country has reached 2,729 with 97 more virus-related deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

According to NCOC, 53,805 cases have been detected in Sindh, 54,138 in Punjab, 18,013 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 8,177 in Balochistan, 8,569 in Islamabad, 647 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 1,129 in Gilgit Baltistan.

A total of 5,248 new cases were detected when 29,085 new tests were conducted during this period.