Centre has not taken provinces into confidence on coronavirus vaccine issue: Sindh health minister

KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho on Friday lamented that the federal government has not taken provinces into confidence regarding the coronavirus vaccination timeline.

Pechuho said she found out about the federal government’s stance on vaccine through media reports.

The PPP minister said it was difficult to say when the vaccine will be available for the public, adding that there has been no contact with vaccine manufacturers.

But she hoped that the vaccine would be available before spring next year. “People aged 60 and above and healthcare workers will be the first to receive it.”

On Thursday, the health minister had sought World Health Organization (WHO) assistance for the procurement and dispensing of the vaccine for the impoverished people in Sindh.

Speaking at the inauguration of refurbished Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) centre, she said the government should start planning procurement, storage and distribution of the coronavirus vaccine. 

Read more: Half of Karachi's leading hospitals' coronavirus wards filled with 'serious patients'

Provision of facilities

So far, the global health agency has provided six mobile vaccination vans to the EPI Sindh for each district of Karachi which would be used for routine vaccination, provision of health services, and nutrition support services.

WHO has also donated several other vehicles for monitoring activities refurbished nine vaccination centres in the city and provided a 500-kilovolt generator for uninterrupted power supply to the EPI for maintaining a cold chain for the storage of important vaccines in the EPI programme.

WHO acknowledges improvement in Sindh

WHO’s country representative to Pakistan Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala maintained that every time he came to Sindh, he saw improvement in its health sector. 

Read more: 'Moment to ponder': Sindh govt spokesperson warns against increasing coronavirus cases

“We have refurbished nine vaccination centres in Sindh and are going to refurbish 345 more such centres at the cost of USD1.4 million which is equal to over Rs200 million Pakistani rupees."

"Today we have donated vans for vaccination in six districts of Karachi and several other vehicles. We would provide mobile vans for all the districts of Sindh while we are donating tons of other material in the health sector,” he added.

Underscoring on the importance of vaccination, Dr Mahipala stated that smallpox had been eradicated from the world with the help of vaccination and now efforts were underway to eradicate several other diseases in the same manner.