Coronavirus testing capacity increased to 1,500 per day

PESHAWAR: Coronavirus testing capacity in KP has been increased to 1,500 a day, said Chief Minister Mahmood Khan.

He said over the last 45 days the provincial government increased the testing capacity for COVID-19 from scratch to around 1,500 per day.

He said the existing number of coronavirus testing capacity would be doubled in coming days.

This he said while talking to provincial minister for health Taimur Saleem Jhagra who called on him here.

The health minister also apprised the chief minister of the salient features of the revised testing policy for COVID-19 recently notified by the health department.

He said several private sector service providers were being engaged to assist the provincial government to further increase the testing capacity up to 5,000 tests per day.

The chief minister termed the revised testing policy an important step to effectively deal with the corona pandemic and stressed the need for  implementing its guidelines in letter and spirit.

He said that the revised policy gave top priority to the frontline workers for testing adding that it was direly needed in the prevailing situation, and the same  would help ensure the safety of these frontline workers.

Though the number of testing facility has been increased in the province, so far the government has failed to set up one in Chitral.

As a result, samples of suspected patients have to be sent to Peshawar for testing.

Demands by people of Chitral to set up a screening facility in both the district has not been fulfilled by the KP government.