RAWALPINDI: The provincial government has completed Covid-19 vaccination trials and the vaccine will soon be administered to front line health workers and the elderly, in the first phase, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said.
“Trials of Covax have been completed in partnership with World Health Organisation (WHO) and Gavi and the results are being reviewed in Canada. In the next two to three weeks, complete results will come to the fore. We conducted trials jointly with Covax, therefore a large share of the vaccine shall be provided to us.
“As per the agreed policy, in the next three to four months vaccine for 20pc of the population will be given to Pakistan. Initially, the vaccine shall be provided to frontline health workers and then people over 65, suffering from other ailments. The number of recovered patients of Covid-19 is much greater than the number of new admissions,” she said.
She said the best possible treatment of Covid-19 is being provided at Punjab’s public sector hospitals and there has been a significant decrease in the number of cases recently as compared to other parts of the country.
She was speaking to journalists after a visit to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU). Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Additional Secretary Dr Asif Tufail and Vice Chancellor Rawalpindi Medical University Prof Dr Mohammad Umar were also present.
Health care workers and elderly to be vaccinated against the infection in first phase
Punjab has conducted over 2.8 million tests and contact tracing is being done rigorously. In the last 24 hours 15,300 Covid-19 tests were conducted, she said, adding the vaccine’s first shipment will reach Pakistan very soon and will be distributed to all provinces as per the national policy. If notable decrease in the number of cases is observed after Feb 15, RIU’s dialysis, emergency and outdoor wards will be opened for all patients
“By December 2021, all 29.3 million families of Punjab will be provided Sehat Sahulat Cards. Rs80 billion has been allocated for the programme and so far we have distributed cards among 5.2 million families of the province and around 287,000 people have availed services,” she said, adding more than 20 million children will be given the vaccination at camps and kit stations, set up at stipulated sites and educational institutions.
Responding to queries, the health minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to make Pakistan a welfare state by creating maximum health and educational facilities for people, henceforth, holders of Sehat Sahulat Cards can avail free health services at RIC, PIC, MIC and FIC.
Patients can file complaints in case of a problem and card holders can get treatment for trauma, seizure, hernia, cardiac problems, neurosurgery, dialysis, diabetes along with other diseases, she said the government has evolved a strategy to monitor doctors’ attendance, treatment for patients and provision of medicines. In case of negligence, strict action is taken against staff.
When asked, she denied the news story that alleged that a card holder was denied free treatment in Jhang and said that free services are provided only to patients admitted at the hospital and all medicines are provided free-of-cost to them. Once patients are discharged, they are given support of Rs1000 and medicine for five days if deemed necessary.
In district Jhang, she added, about 150 people have been provided free eye treatment through Sehat Sahulat Cards.
51 recovered
Around 51 people recovered from Covid-19 and were discharged from hospitals on Thursday in district Rawalpindi. One person passed away from the disease whereas 24 people were tested positive.
Tauqeer Mehboob, 36, resident of Sadiqabad was brought to Holy Family Hospital on Jan 26 where he died on Thursday morning. Out of the 24 new patients, 11 arrived in city hospitals from Rawalpindi’s city and cantonment areas including eight from Potohar Town and three from Rawal Town.
Eight patients arrived from other tehsils of Rawalpindi including four from Gujar Khan, two from Kalar Syedan and one from Murree. Two patients arrived from Islamabad and one each from Jhelum, Chakwal and Rawalakot.
As many as 322 active patients are in the district while 61 patients are in hospitals including 29, who arrived from other districts and 261 patients are home isolated. As many as 472 patients are waiting for the results of their Covid-19 serology.
Around 36 patients are admitted in hospitals including six in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), eight patients in Fauji Foundation Hospital (FFH), four in Holy Family Hospital (HFH), one in Red Crescent Hospital (RCH), three in Hearts International Hospital, one at Attock Hospital Rawalpindi and 13 in Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU).
Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood told Dawn that three patients are in critical condition and on ventilator in Rawalpindi, 21 are on oxygen support and 12 are stable.
He said that 16,728 people tested positive for Covid-19 since March 2020 including 13,654 in Rawalpindi out of which 12,487 belonged to the district and 1,167 were from outside the district; 1,191 in Attock (1,160 from the district and 31 from out of the district); 1,278 in Jhelum and 605 in Chakwal.
He said 15,557 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the four districts including 12,771 in Rawalpindi (11,626 from the district and 1,145 from out of the district); 1,098 in Attock (1,063 from the district and 35 from out of the district); 1,172 in Jhelum and 516 in Chakwal.
A total of 714 people died of the disease in Rawalpindi Division in the last ten months including 589 in Rawalpindi, 27 in Attock, 31 in Jhelum and 67 in Chakwal.
Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2021
