GB chief court takes suo motu notice over shortage of medical gear

GILGIT BALTISTAN: The Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Court on Tuesday took suo motu notice of shortage and provision of substandard personal protective equipments to the doctors battling the coronavirus outbreak on the frontlines in the region.

The chief court took the notice on an appeal the GB Awareness Forum (GAF). The GAF had uploaded on its social media page, pointing out that shortage of protective gear in the government hospitals had severely hampered the fight against COVID-19 across the region.

Chief Court Judge Justice Malik Haq Nawaz ordered the medical superintendent, health secretary and the district health officers GB to appear before the court on 24 April to explain their positions regarding the matter.

The GB Awareness Forum (GAF) in the complaint had appealed the court to turn the request into petition under section 561-A of CrPC.

GAF alleged that substandard personal protective equipments had been provided to the doctors and other medical staff in different hospitals including the DHQ Hospital Gilgit, as a result doctors were falling prey to coronavirus.

The forum further alleged the concerned authorities distributed the masks and personal protective equipments among their friends and supporters.

Earlier two medical staffers, including Dr Usama Riaz and senior medical worker Malik Ashdar, have lost lives treating the corona virus patients in the region.

GB health authorities have registered three new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the tally to 283.

The number of active coronavirus cases in the region stands at 71, Overall 201 patients have recovered from the disease in the region.

The GB health authorities have conducted 2,410 COVID-19 tests, of which 1,796 have so far come negative. Results of 294 tests conducted recently are awaited.