CM inaugurates COVID-19 vaccine drive

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, along with Health Minister Sindh, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, inaugurated the COVID-19 vaccine campaign in Sindh.

The first COVID-19 vaccine in Sindh was administered to Dr Tanveer Ahmed at the Dow University Hospital, Ojha campus, where they were present along with the Chinese Consul General, Secretary Health Sindh, Dr Kazim Jatoi, and other officials.

While talking to the media, Chief Minister Sindh, Murad Ali, and Minister Health, Dr Azra Pechuho, paid tribute to the healthcare workers and thanked them for their services by distributing shields. They emphasized the SOPs to be followed even after the vaccine is administered so that the healthcare system does not collapse.

CM Murad Ali shah thanked the Chinese government and said that China helped Pakistan when no one else did. He also said that China had donated 500,000 doses to Pakistan, out of which Sindh received 83,000 doses, for which he is grateful to the Government of Pakistan. In his address, he said that in this initial phase, the vaccine would be given to the frontline healthcare workers only, and Pakistan is on the 80^th number of receiving the vaccine.

He also said that the federal government needs to provide us with a proper timetable for the vaccines, so we also know when we will be receiving them. The vaccine campaign in Sindh will be transparent, and whoever gets the vaccine will have their details on the website. He said that the Health Department has spoken to the Chinese government and other pharmaceuticals and are actively working on procuring the vaccine themselves.

Minister for Health and Population Welfare, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, while addressing the inauguration, said that the department is trying to vaccinate all healthcare workers by the end of February. She added that we would be vaccinating 78,000 frontline workers who are currently working in the COVID wards with the initial dose. She requested all Pakistanis to get vaccinated and said that our national duty is to get vaccinated to save the people around us.

After visiting the Adult Vaccination Center at the Khaliq Dina Hall in Karachi, Minister for Health, Dr Azra Pechuho, said that because the census done by the federal government is not accurate, we can face some difficulties in the vaccination campaign. The province will, however, take help from the data available at NADRA.

The Provincial Health Minister said that the virus is mutating daily, which is why it is important to vaccinate our people as soon as possible. She also said that people who have recovered from COVID-19 also need to get vaccinated.