Govt fails to register those to be vaccinated

ISLAMABAD: The first batch of corona vaccine is reaching Pakistan today (Monday) from China under special arrangements made by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) but the government has failed in starting registration of people, especially senior citizens, who are supposed to be vaccinated on priority basis. Interestingly, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) asked the government to initiate registration of elderly persons on the basis of their age but the department concerned, which is contacted on phone 1166, has refused to entertain the request for registration since it hasn’t received formal instructions for the same and no system has been evolved so far for the purpose.

The first batch of vaccine will be administered to doctors and paramedics who are looking after the patients. The NCOC had asked the relevant department to seek the assistance of National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) for the verification of age, address and other details for assigning the Centre where the vaccination could be administered to desirous.

The sources said that despite the government’s tall claims about the registration and provision of facilities for vaccination, no tangible arrangement is in place for undertaking the gigantic task. The minister concerned for the vaccination and head of the NCOC has been making claims time and again that the vaccination doses will be reaching Pakistan next month in bulk for the consumption of general public and with that the administration of vaccination would be started.

Sources reminded that in the absence of proper networking for administering the vaccination, it wouldn’t be possible to inject the first dose of the medicine any time soon. The officials are in race with each other in making statements on the subject and when the stage for doing actual work arrived, the system is missing.

Federal Minister Asad Umar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan were not available for entertaining queries on the issue on Sunday evening. Asad Umar is also the head of the NCOC.

The sources pointed out that the government has committed criminal negligence in placing order for the vaccine earlier and not registering those who are to be vaccinated. In an act of generosity, China has announced provision of medicine in bulk free of cost. Now the authorities concerned are working out a system for streamlining the process of injecting the medicine.