Door-to-door vaccination in five cities begins tomorrow: Yasmin Rashid

LAHORE: To meet the targets set by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), the Punjab government has decided to launch a door-to-door corona vaccination campaign from July 26 (tomorrow) in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and Rawalpindi.

The decision was taken at a meeting jointly chaired by Provincial Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid and the Chief Secretary Punjab Jawad Rafique Malik at the Civil Secretariat here on Saturday. The senior member board of revenue, additional chief secretary (home), administrative secretaries of both the health departments, deputy commissioner Lahore, director general public relations and officers concerned attended the meeting while the commissioners and deputy commissioners of Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and Rawalpindi participated through the video link.

Addressing the meeting, Provincial Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said that the NCOC has set a target of vaccinating 40 percent of the population over 18 years of age in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and 70 percent of Rawalpindi population by August 14. She directed that the number of drive-through vaccination centres in Lahore be increased to facilitate more people. She maintained that vaccination and compliance with SOPs is the only solution to ward off coronavirus.

The Chief Secretary Punjab said that the vaccination targets set by the NCOC would be achieved and mobile teams would be formed for door-to-door vaccination. He said that the citizens should continue to follow the precautionary measures along with vaccination.

The Chief Secretary directed the administration and the police to extend full cooperation to the teams of the health department during the special campaign. He also issued instructions to set up vaccination camps in the vicinity of all teaching hospitals.

The Secretary Primary Health briefed the meeting that the health department has prepared a micro-plan for the special vaccination campaign and two mobile teams would work in each union council for door-to-door vaccination. She mentioned that 566 teams in Faisalabad, 224 in Gujranwala, 250 in Multan, 356 in Rawalpindi and 528 teams in Lahore would be formed to administer vaccines at doorsteps. She said that with the special door-to-door campaign, the process of administering vaccines at vaccination centres would continue as usual.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Lahore Mudassar Riaz in a press conference here on Saturday announced that the district administration of Lahore has planned to vaccinate all the citizens by initiating a door-to-door vaccination drive.

Like the polio campaign, the corona vaccine will be administered door-to-door, said DC Lahore adding the door-to-door campaign will be launched from Monday (July 26, 2021).

Giving statistics, he said in Allama Iqbal Town the door-to-door campaign will be launched in 20 Union Councils (UC) with a total population of 1,725,391 citizens out of which 914,457 persons are above 18 years of age. He said 59 teams were formed and daily target was to vaccinate 8850 citizens.

He said in these UCs, 241,881 people have already been vaccinated and the remaining target of vaccinating citizens in Allama Iqbal Town was 123,902.

In Aziz Bhatti Town, a door-to-door campaign will be started in 13 UCs with a total population of 950,073 citizens out of which 503,539 people are over the age of 18 and 32 teams were formed to administer the vaccine. He said the daily target in these UCs was to vaccinate 4873 citizens as 133,190 people have already been vaccinated in these UCs and the remaining target of vaccinating citizens in Aziz Bhatti Town was 68,226.

There are 15 UCs in the Cantt area, with a total population of 1,182,012, out of which 626,466 people are over the age of 18 years. DC Lahore said that 40 teams were formed and daily target was to vaccinate 6,063 citizens as 164,795 people have already been vaccinated in these UCs and the remaining target of vaccinating citizens was 84,811.

In 18 UCs of Data Town (DGBT) the total population is 9,79,709, out of which over 18 years is 519,246. He said 33 teams were formed and the daily target was to vaccinate 5025 citizens as 137,345 people have already been vaccinated. The remaining target of vaccinating citizens in DGBT was 70354.

There are 15 UCs in Gulberg area with a total population of 909,843 and number of people over 18 years of age is 482,217 for which 31 teams were formed, DC Lahore said adding daily target was 4667 as 127,550 people have already been vaccinated. The outstanding target was to vaccinate 65,337 citizens.

In Nishtar Town’s 18 UCs the total population is 1,685,928, out of which persons above 18 years of age is 893,542 and 58 teams were formed, DC Lahore said and maintained that daily target was to vaccinate 8648 citizens. He said 236,349 people have already been vaccinated in this town and the remaining target for vaccination was 121,068.

There are 19 UCs in the Ravi zone area with a total population of 1,393,683 out of which number of persons above 18 years of age is 738,652 and 48 teams are formed to achieve a daily target of vaccinating 7149 citizens, DC said adding 195,379 persons in this town have already been vaccinated and the remaining target for vaccination was 100,082.

In Samanabad zone, there are 19 UCs with a total population of 1,275,080 and number of persons above 18 years of age is 675,792. DC Lahore said that 44 teams were made to achieve the daily target of 6540. He said 178,752 persons have already been vaccinated in this zone and the remaining target for vaccination was 91565.

There are 17 UCs in Shalimar zone area with a total population of 1,143,711 out of which the number of persons above 18 years is 606,167 for which 39 teams were formed. He said daily target of vaccination in this zone was 5866 as 160,336 persons have already been vaccinated in this area and the remaining target for vaccination was 82,131.

There are 12 UCs in Wagah zone area with a total population of 1,088,144 out of which number of persons above 18 years of age is 576,716 and daily target set for vaccination in this zone was 5581. He said 152,546 persons have already been vaccinated in this zone and the remaining target was 78,141.

DC Lahore further said that the drive through and other vaccination centres will continue to provide services as they were doing already. He appealed the citizens to get vaccinated as soon as possible to stop the fourth wave of corona.