Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Wednesday welcomed the national coronavirus vaccination drive in all the provinces of Pakistan, stating that it is due to the efforts of Prime Minister Imran Khan that the vaccine is reaching the people.
“The fruits of Imran Khan’s successful anti-corona and vaccination strategy have begun to reach the people,” the federal minister said on Twitter.
“Corona vaccination in all provinces at the same time is a practical step to provide equal opportunities to all federal units. Public Health and Employment Protection New Pakistan I have the first priority.”
According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the first tranche of Covid-19 vaccines has reached all federating units, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
Moreover, following in the footsteps of the federal government, the Punjab government on Wednesday began vaccinating the frontline health workers against coronavirus in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar at Punjab House, Islamabad.
With the launching of the province-wide campaign, the healthcare workers (HCWs) Dr Faraz of Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Dr Samavia Akbar became the first from Punjab to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the province, the virus has claimed 4,806 lives and infected 158,783 people while overall 11,772 deaths occurred in the country besides over half a million infections.
In the second phase of the coronavirus vaccine, senior citizens will be given the jab during the two-month-long campaign.
On the occasion, the chief minister said that free of cost coronavirus vaccine would be inoculated to the citizens in Punjab, adding that Punjab had received 70,000 vaccine doses and 189 centres had been established in the province.
Buzdar said that over 600 officials had been provided technical training in this regard while master trainers would equip more staff with the training to administer jabs of the vaccine.
He said 2,500 ice-line refrigerators had been arranged in 36 districts to keep the vaccines safe as per the guidelines, adding that China had stood by Pakistan in every hour of need and the gift of 0.5 million vaccines was a proof of this friendship.
The CM said that Pakistani would always remember this good-will gesture of the people of China, adding that Pakistan was thankful to China.
Urging the need to adopt precautionary measures against the virus, he said that Punjab was far ahead of the other provinces in contact tracing, adding that the world had acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts to contain coronavirus pandemic.
He also said that Punjab had allocated a sum of Rs1 billion for the purchase of coronavirus vaccine, adding the province will get more vaccine doses in the next three weeks.
Governor Sarwar hailed HCWs for their heroic role to ward off coronavirus threat to human lives, adding that health workers were Pakistan’s heroes.
He said that the Punjab government had commendably completed all arrangements to inoculation of the vaccine.
On Tuesday, PM Imran kicked off coronavirus vaccination drive and once again reminded the people to continue to exercise precautions.
Under the supervision of the prime minister, his adviser on health Dr Faisal Sultan, and NCOC chief Asad Umar, the first vaccine was administered in Pakistan — given to a healthcare worker in Islamabad.
“The more you abide by coronavirus safety measures, the easier it will be to protect everyone from the virus,” said PM Imran while addressing a gathering to mark the occasion.
