Threat of fourth wave: Punjab govt focusing on corona vaccination

LAHORE: The Punjab government has focused its attention on vaccination of the people amid threat of fourth wave of corona pandemic.

The provincial government has directed heads of different departments to ensure vaccination of all employees and send compliance report.

Secretary, Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department Punjab Sarah Aslam in a briefing directed the officials concerned to maximize the efforts for curtailing Covid-19 virus.

While assessing the upcoming congregation on Eid-ul-Azha, as many as 118 mobile vaccination camps will provide special vaccination facility to the visitors and on spot certificate will be provided to them.

Terming the increase in Covid-19 infection rate as alarming, she urged the people to get themselves vaccinated while complying with SOPs.

Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department has announced that after 15th July, non-vaccinated employees will not be allowed to enter the premises of any hospital or medical institution and they shall be marked as absent from duty.

Out of total 17,172 coronavirus tests conducted during the last 24 hours, as many as 216 fresh virus cases and seven fatalities were reported taking the provincial tally of virus cases to 348,725 and death toll to 10,839.

With the recovery of 43 corona positive patients, the total number of recovered patients in Punjab has reached to 329,012.

Moreover, a study-group comprising researchers from the University of Health Sciences (UHS) and its affiliated institutes has launched stem cell therapy, as a part of their research, in patients suffering from severe respiratory problems due to lung damage after Covid-19.

After the meeting of the study-group here on Wednesday, the group-lead and UHS Vice-Chancellor Professor Javed Akram said that the stem cell therapy was being carried out on an experimental basis and so far six patients had been given stem cells.

He revealed that the stem cells used in this research had been harvested by Professor Sheikh Riazuddin and his team.

“We are implanting these stem cells in people whose lungs have been severely affected by coronavirus,” he said, adding: “Because this is a research study, patients would be given this therapy free of cost.”

Prof Javed Akram further said that those wishing to join the study could contact Dr Shehnoor Azhar, the focal person for the corona vaccine trial at UHS. Patients’ written consent, however, would be required prior to stem cell therapy.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021