K-P, Balochistan begin inoculation

Both provinces have been provided with a total of 21,000 coronavirus vaccine doses

QUETTA/ PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan governments initiated the coronavirus inoculation programmes under the leadership of their respective chief ministers on Wednesday.

Frontline health workers in both the provinces were the first ones to get the Covid-19 shots.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

The vaccination process for health workers started in the province on Wednesday as a formal inauguration ceremony was held here at Naseerullah Babar Memorial Hospital.

In connection with the countrywide drive to inoculate the frontline healthcare workers against COVID-19, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has formally launched the vaccination drive in the province.

At the launching ceremony, where CM Mahmood Khan was the chief guest, seven health workers from three different hospitals of Peshawar were vaccinated against Covid-19, including Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) Director Dr. Faisal Shehzad, Assistant Professor Dr. Muhammad Shah, Staff Nurse Ayesha Zahir, Khyber Teaching Hospital’s Dr. Abid Ali and Nurse Waqarullah and Lady Reading Hospital’s nurse Tariq Rahim and technician Saeedullah.

Dr Noor Khaliq, a pulmonologist, was the health worker who received the first shot. Especially trained staff administered the vaccine and Dr Noor Khaliq was then kept in observation ward for half an hour.

Speaking on this occasion, the chief minister said that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa initially had received the first batch of vaccines containing 16,000 doses, and that in the first phase of vaccination, frontline health workers of the province would be vaccinated as per the guidelines of the federal government and NCOC.

The chief minister told the audience that for the first phase of vaccination, eight districts with highest positivity rate of Corona cases have been selected, including Peshawar, Swat, Abbottabad, Bannu, D. I. Khan, Kohat, Mardan and Nowshera.

Mahmood Khan extended gratitude to the federal government and the prime minister for providing vaccines to the provincial government.

He maintained that so far 3,194 health workers were affected by the Coronavirus and 32 of them had lost their lives.

He lauded the services of frontline health workers during the pandemic, saying they were the real heroes of the nation who rendered invaluable services during the first wave of the contagion. A number of them even lost their lives to save the lives of others, he pointed out, adding that the provincial government highly values their selfless services and sacrifices. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan the present government was successful in effectively dealing with the first wave of the coronavirus,” the CM remarked

Talking on the occasion Dr Asia Asad said that the process of vaccinating the health workers had been launched and it will be completed in phases after which it will be made available for the general public. She said that the new vaccine was completely safe for use and it is being monitored.

“We will ensure the availability of the vaccine for the frontlines health workers in the K-P,” she said.

Special Secretary Health Dr Farooq Jamil said that in the first phase 16,000 doses of the vaccine had been delivered and another 16,000 will also be provided in the second phase.

“In the largest hospitals of the province 50 health workers will be vaccinated while in the district hospital each day 30 workers will be administered shots and hospitals will be provided with vaccines as per schedule,” he informed the gathering, saying that vaccination of around 80,000 health workers had been planned.

“An online registration process is being started and each health worker could get himself registered on 1166,” he said, adding that after the first dose another dose will be administered after three weeks and in the next phase private sector will also be included in the vaccination process.

“We are monitoring every single vial of the vaccine which has been provided by China in aid but in the future the Health Department is also planning to procure it.

Covid-19 vaccination was held in Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC).

Balochistan

While addressing the vaccination launching ceremony in Balochistan, Chief Minister Jam Kamal said, “The whole world has been affected by the corona epidemic. It is commendable that doctors and health workers have volunteered for the vaccine. So far 22,000 health workers have registered for the vaccination.”

He expressed these views while speaking to the media after the inauguration of the Coronavirus vaccine programme at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Wednesday.

The first Covid-19 vaccine was administered to PMA President Dr Aftab, the second to Dr Noorullah Musakhel and the third to Dr Shaheen Kausar.

Praising the role of doctors during the Corona epidemic, the provincial chief executive said the doctors did a commendable job as they have been providing excellent services during the lock down so far without caring about their lives.

“We pray for the martyrs, especially for the doctors and other health workers who lost their lives in the line of duty due to Covid,” he said. “It was a challenge for the whole world and the whole world suffered a great loss.”

The CM highlighted receiving a consignment of 5,000 vaccines while the next shipment will be received in a week.

He further said that vaccines were being provided to all parts of the country including Balochistan not on the basis of population but keeping in view the current situation of the novel coronavirus.

On the occasion, the health secretary relayed that in the first phase, health workers will be vaccinated whereas people above the age of 65 years will be vaccinated in the second phase.

In a voluntary message to the public, Dr Aftab Kakar emphasised that the vaccine is safe and has no side effects. “In order to protect themselves from this deadly disease, they should be vaccinated.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2021.