Govt plans door-to-door vaccination

The Punjab government has decided to launch a door-to-door coronavirus vaccination drive, to achieve the vaccination target set by the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), in five major cities of the province.

Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, on Saturday, announced that a special door-to-door vaccination drive is being launched from Monday, to reach the maximum number of citizens in five major cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Multan.

He directed the officials concerned to kick-start a special campaign, which will last till August 10, to vaccinate as many citizens as possible. During this special campaign, mobile teams will visit markets, bazaars and commercial areas to vaccinate the shopkeepers as well as citizens.

Patients visiting hospitals and their attendants will also be vaccinated, he highlighted.

Buzdar instructed divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to play an active and vibrant role in the success of this special campaign.

The CM said he would be personally monitoring this campaign and the government would achieve its target of vaccination.

He underlined vaccination is of utmost necessity to stop the spread of the fourth wave of coronavirus. Citizens can protect themselves from corona by getting a vaccination.

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He also appealed to citizens to get the vaccination and also follow standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Meanwhile, Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid and Punjab Chief Secretary jointly chaired a meeting to review the coronavirus situation in the province and inspect preparations to kick-start a special vaccination drive.

Addressing meeting participants, Dr Rashid highlighted the NCOC has set a target of vaccinating 40% of the adult population in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and 70% of Rawalpindi’s population by August 14.

She directed officials concerned to increase the number of drive-through vaccination centres in Lahore as vaccination and compliance with the SOPs is the only solution to ward off coronavirus.

The chief secretary said 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.

He 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.

Punjab Primary and Secondary Health Secretary briefed meeting participants 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 disclosed 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 with the special door-to-door campaign, the process of administering vaccines at vaccination centres would continue as usual.

The meeting was attended by 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 commissioners and deputy commissioners of Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and Rawalpindi participated through the video link.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2021.