ISLAMABAD: The Nat­ional Command and Opera­tion Centre (NCOC) management has been asked to issue precautionary Covid-19 variant risk advisory for public and stakeholders, with a direction to the Nat­io­nal Institute of Health (NIH) to take stock of vaccines and arrangements at hospitals in the country to deal with coronavirus cases, after neighbouring countries reported rising infections.

The direction for issuance of the advisory came from National Disaster Manage­ment Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Inam Hai­der Malik at a special session of National Emer­gency Operation Centre (NEOC) on Monday amid criticism by health experts against the NCOC for ‘taking the issue lightly’ by just monitoring the situation rather than issuing fresh guidelines and giving a ‘position statement’.

Lt Gen Malik, who was presiding over the special session, also asked the NIH to review the stocks of co­ronavirus vaccines and arrangements at hospitals to deal with infections and carry out Anti-Covid Natio­nal Preparedness Audit 2022-23.

Trends, tackling spike

A team of NIH, headed by its executive director Maj Gen Aamer Ikram, briefed the NDMA after the new variants of coronavirus spread in China, India and the United States.

According to an NDMA statement, the NIH team was called to brief the participants on updated monitoring of regional trends of new variant of coronavirus.

“NDMA chairman focu­sed on evolving Covid-19 variants and expressed confidence in Pakistan’s current strategies and national preparedness. However, the situation will be continuously monitored by NCOC and preparedness, preventative protocols and vaccination administration system will be strengthened to tackle spike,” it stated.

Low positivity rate

It said the NCOC came up with detailed statistics on Covid management and vaccination administration besides a low risk of new variant in Pakistan.

The session was informed the current positivity rate stood at 0.53 per cent, as 95 per cent eligible population of the country has been inoculated with the first and 90 per cent with both doses of Covid vaccines.

“NDMA chairman direc­ted the NCOC, ex-NIH to issue precautionary Covid-19 variant risk advisory for public and relevant stakeholders, based on scientific analysis of data at global and regional level, and carry out selective mock drills for Covid-19 emergency,” it stated.

NEOC expansion

The NDMA chairman apprised participants of the prime minister’s vision on the establishment of a national preparedness and response system in the country. He also explained the NEOC expansion plan by making it live inter-faced with all departments.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2022