63pc rural population vaccinated: secretary

LAHORE : Secretary Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department Imran Sikander Baloch chaired an important meeting regarding RED vaccination campaign and third-party survey review.

Oxford Policy Management, High Quality Technical Assistance and UK Aid were present from third-party. Dr Nouman from WHO, Health Services DG Dr Haroon Jahangir, Additional Secretary Sundas Irshad, Additional Secretary Development Noor-ul-Ain, Dr Rubina Ashraf from University of the Punjab and Dr Sara Hayat were present in the meeting.

Secretary Health said, "1,068 people were included in the research. We've succeeded in vaccinating around 63 percent of rural population in Punjab. According to the results, 90 percent of the vaccinated population is satisfied with the quality of the vaccines. These kinds of results will help us to improve for the campaigns in future. Running such an effective campaign in such a short time was a challenge for us."

While talking about the campaigns in future he said, "We will surely include remote areas as well as prisons in the future campaigns. We targeted men and women without any discrimination in RED phase 2. Fake entry is a huge problem and we are trying to deal with it in every way possible, even we are trying to make data entry protocols better in collaboration with the federal government. Phase 3 of RED will be launched in February with better planning and every UC will be added in micro-planning of RED phase 3. Provision of vaccination to everyone without any discrimination is our foremost priority."

Fitness centre: Primary & Secondary Healthcare Secretary Imran Sikander Baloch along with WHO country-head Dr Palitha Mahipala inaugurated fitness centre in the office.

Special Secretary Development Dr Farrukh Naveed, Dr Jamshed, Dr Nouman, Dr Imran, Dr Faisal from WHO, Additional Secretary Awais Gohar and other officials were present at the ceremony. Dr Palitha Mahipala visited the fitness centre and inspected the facilities there.

Talking about the centre, secretary health said the main purpose of establishing a fitness centre in the department was to provide good facilities for maintaining the physical health of the officers and staff in the office. Equal facilities for men and women are provided in the fitness centre. He appreciated the WHO efforts for providing quality medical facilities as well as their help in provision of Special Health Package to the people of Punjab. WHO country head Dr Palitha Mahipala praised the efforts of Secretary Health Imran Sikander Baloch regarding the provision of quality facilities in the centre. Mahipala said, “We are cooperating fully with health department in providing better medical facilities to the people of Punjab. We are helping health department in every way we can to control contagious diseases in Punjab.”