KARACHI: The Sindh government has announced to establish a Provincial Vaccine Administration Coordination Cell (PVACC).
According to the notification issued by Sindh Health Department, the PVACC is notified in pursuance of the decision of the National Vaccine Task Force (NVTF) – National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).
The notification stated Sindh Secretary Health Dr. Kazim Hussain Jatoi will be Chairman of the PVACC, EOC Co-ordinator Fayyaz Hussain Abbasi will be Focal Person and Additional Secretary Public Health will be the Deputy Focal Person of PVACC.
Parliamentary Health Secretary of Sindh Assembly Qasim Siraj Soomro, DG Health Dr. Irshad Ahmed, PD EPI Dr. Akram Sultan, Section Officer Dr. Mazhar Ali, Provincial IT Head Faizan Gul Shaikh, Provincial Technical Focal Person (EOC) Dr. Ahmed Ali Shaikh will be among the members of the PVACC, read the notification.
While the officials declared Provincial Emergency Operation Cell (EOC), as the headquarter of the provincial Vaccine Administration Coordination Cell.
Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Pechoho in a statement said that about 250,000 doses of vaccine will be given to Sindh, after the second week of this month in collaboration with the National Vaccine Task Force and NCOC. Every COVID-19 patient will be given two doses of the vaccine at 21-day intervals, Dr Azra added.
The provincial health official informed that in the first phase, health professionals and front line workers on duty in the hospital wards of COVID19 will be vaccinated. She said that the second phase of the vaccine will cover people over the age of 60 and then people with various diseases.
Azra Fazl Pechuhu said that 5,000 people would be vaccinated in a day through the process. The Sindh Health Minister instructed the officials concerned to compile data of front line workers attached with the private hospitals.
Dr. Azra Pechoho said that the individuals undergoing the vaccination phase will also be given a card that will also be used for travel purposes. She said that 50 cubicles will be established in Karachi Expo Center, for the vaccination of the 5,000 people, in a day.
Apart from Karachi, vaccination facilities will also be provided in treasury hospitals in other cities of Sindh, she said.
Around 22 more patients died of coronavirus in Sindh, taking the total number of deaths due to the virus across the province to 3582.
According to the latest figures released by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, 953 new cases came to light in the last 24 hours in the province. He said that 216,632 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Sindh so far.
The condition of 701 patients infected with coronavirus is said to be critical. Coronavirus currently has 73 patients on ventilators. As per the chief minister, 792 new cases of coronavirus were reported in Karachi in the last 24 hours.
