LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid and Minister for School Education Murad Raas inaugurated student vaccination centre at Pilot School Wahdat Road here on Friday.
Present on the occasion were Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Imran Sikander Baloch, Special Secretary Saleha Saeed and officials of the Health department.
Both the ministers reviewed the vaccination process at the centre. The health minister also monitored fumigation process in Wahdat Colony.
On the occasion, the health minister said “We have to make the Reach Every Door Campaign a success”. The target for this campaign was vaccination of 20 million people, she added.
During this campaign, 70, 000 staff of Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department and 4, 000 people of School Education Department were rendering services, she informed.
Dr Yasmin said that in the first four days, more than 2.5 million people had been vaccinated adding “We will vaccinate around 5 million students in the RED campaign.”
The fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic with Epsilon variant has hit the world, she said and added that people must try to get themselves vaccinated during the RED campaign.
Minister for School Education Murad Raas said that 99 percent school teachers were vaccinated in Punjab, adding that the department was trying to vaccinate maximum students in the 12 to 18 age group. “I appeal parents to get their children vaccinated and all of us will have to work together to make the campaign a success” he added.
Responding to questions from journalists, Dr. Yasmin Rashid said that by vaccination of maximum number of people Pakistan can overcome the coronavirus pandemic. She appealed media to support the government in spreading awareness about vaccination. She also said all out efforts were being made to overcome dengue epidemic. She said dengue situation was being constantly monitored as 17 cabinet meetings had taken placed since January.
To another question about dengue link with weather, she said cases might decrease as winter sets in.
Dr. Yasmin Rashid said that beds had been increased in all hospitals of Punjab and another 250 beds might be added if cases continued to increase. She said timely action had been taken in certain areas which was very helpful in reducing the number of cases. She said Punjab’s EPI (Expanded Programme on Immunisation) programme had progressed a great deal and routine immunization coverage had crossed 90 percent in Punjab. She also said all environmental samples of polio were negative this year and Pakistan was now moving towards polio free future.