Punjab to buy 1m doses of corona vaccine: Dr Yasmin Rashid

LAHORE:Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid Wednesday said that one million doses of corona vaccine will be procured after the approval of the cabinet in near future in the first phase. Chairing a meeting at the Civil Secretariat to review status of vaccine procurement and preparation, the health minister said that local preparation of vaccine would be possible between 6 and 10 months.

Dr Yasmin reviewed progress for the procurement of the vaccine and said that a Technical Advisory Group had been constituted under Special Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare department Babar Aman for the procurement of the vaccine. "Technical Advisory Group would share its recommendations within two days for the procurement of the vaccine", she added. She informed that consultation with stakeholders was underway, including professors from University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS).

"Local preparation of vaccine may take 6 to 10 months time," she added. The minister said that Secretary Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education had already met various stakeholders, including Livestock department for the purpose. She said that the Punjab government was utilising all-out resources to control the pandemic. She called upon the stakeholders to play active role in controlling the pandemic in the province.

Dr Yasmin said that the vaccination process of elderly citizens was underway smoothly and the Punjab government was controlling the pandemic under a defined strategy. She sought people’s cooperation by following the SOPs, and highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan with the support of the people Punjab would overcome the pandemic spread. Secretary SHME Barrister Nabeel Awan apprised the minister of the steps taken to ensure availability of the vaccine.

Meanwhile, Dr Yasmin Rashid has warned the nation against the third wave of COVID-19, saying its worst danger was its ability to strike the children which was not the case with the earlier variants.

Since the death toll was rising, the government was inculcating among the people the need of the preventive measures of keeping social distance, wearing masks and washing hands frequently, she said while addressing “Hamdard-e-Sehat” conference online under the aegis of Hamdard Foundation Pakistan on Wednesday, in connection with World Health Day, on the theme “Building a Fairer, Healthier World” given by WHO. She said the government had begun process of vaccination against COVID-19 and insisting that everybody should get vaccinated for which registration was mandatory. Chairing the conference, president of Hamdard Foundation, Ms Saadia Rashed expressed concern that the whole world was experiencing an ugly trend of disparity between the haves and the have-nots due to fast decreasing facilities of clean drinking water, sanitation, food, health shelter, education and employment. She said the COVID-19 had made this trend worse by pushing the poor farther from the accessing basic needs. She stressed upon the urgent need to devise strategy to ward off the natural calamity and work for the betterment of humanity. Head of WHO sub office Sindh, Dr Sarah Salman urged upon the need to create awareness against COVID-19 to help prevent common man from the deadly virus.

The conference was also attended by delegates all over the country, including Sughra Ramzan, Areesha Fatimah, Syed Ali, Abdullah Rizvi, Asna Hussain, Areeba Naveed, Ajwa Khan, Rameen Fatimah, Quratul Ain, Muqaddas Hafsa, Iqra Sardar and Yar Muhammad.