Coronavirus outbreak: Food minister tells masses to refrain from panic buying

Bakhtiar assures masses Pakistan has ample stocks of wheat, edible oil and other food items amid the coronavirus outbreak

Web Desk

March 23, 2020

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Food Security Khusro Bakhtiar on Monday advised the public against panic buying, saying that ample stocks of basic food items such as wheat and edible oil were in the country.

Addressing a press conference with Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Security Moeed Yusuf and Chairman NDMA, Bakhtiar said that Pakistan was self-sufficient in poultry, livestock and dairy items.

He told the people not to indulge in panic buying and hoard items. The minister said that the federal government will need to enhance inter-provincial management in the future to tackle the coronavirus epidemic.

Chairman NDMA, Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal, said that the government had provided the institution enough funds which would enable it to manage the coronavirus epidemic.

He said that the government had decided to provide Pakistani health workers with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by April 5, 2020. "However, we will be able to achieve this by March 30, 2020," he said.

Lt Gen Afzal said that negotiations were underway and by next Friday, all health workers will have PPE. He said that 120 ventilators will be brought to Pakistan from China as well.

"The ventilators quantity will be increased to 1,200 in the second phase of our operations and by third phase, to 4,000 Insha'Allah," he said.

The chairman NDMA said that a Pakistani engineer had designed a ventilator and he will take a look at the final product today. He acknowledged China's help in the fight against the epidemic.

"Our brother China has helped us a lot in this crisis," he said. "A team from China will also arrive in a week here to assist us in tackling the coronavirus," he added.