Senate panel informed: Covid vaccine to be available from next week

ISLAMABAD: Anti-Covid-19 vaccine would be available in Pakistan from next week, being procured through different vaccine companies and under global health initiative Covax that would ensure vaccine’s initial availability to 20 per cent population of Pakistan , Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Dr Faisal Sultan briefed Senate Health Panel Thursday.

“All arrangements are in place to ensure that Covid vaccine is available in the market from next week. This would be a big breakthrough in our battle against the pandemic,” he briefed the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.

He said the federal government’s Covid-19 vaccination plan aims at ensuring equitable public access to the vaccine.

The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has put in place a workable system in collaboration with NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) to ensure that every citizen will have access to the vaccine through a phase-wise plan, he said.

“The process will begin with frontline healthcare workers and will proceed to senior citizens—65-year old and above,” he said.

The procurement of vaccine, Sultan said, will be made through vaccine companies directly and under Covax, a global initiative to ensure rapid and equitable access for all countries.

He said 20 per cent of the country’s population will be covered through Covax and the availability of Covid-vaccine would be extended to the entire population in phases.

Chairperson committee Khushbakht Shujat raised concerns regarding what she termed was ‘rumour mongering’ against the vaccine. Launching an awareness campaign to counter rumours against anti-Covid vaccine is the need of the hour, she said.

Faisal Sultan informed the committee that the campaign was ready and it would be launched in line with the administering of the vaccine.

The committee considered and unanimously passed Prevention and Control of the Infectious Diseases Bill 2020, moved by Muhammad Javed Abbasi.

“This is a futuristic bill and will be extremely beneficial for the whole country in dealing with infectious diseases,” the committee chairperson said.

She expressed ‘grave displeasure’ over state of affairs at Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH), Islamabad, commonly known as Poly Clinic. It is essential that more female staff is employed to ensure that women are given proper services and they are comfortable at the hospital, she said.

The committee took up the issue of vacant seats in government hospitals despite extensive workload and understaffing in the hospitals. The Senate panel recommended that steps be taken forthwith for urgent recruitment of staff against the available vacancies in all the hospitals.

Committee members including Sana Jamali, Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, Dr Sikander Mandhro, Dr Ghous Muhammad Khan Niazi, Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen, Muhammad Dilawar Khan and senior government officials concerned attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021