Covid-19 Healthcare workers’ immunisation starts

MARDAN: The immunisation of the frontline healthcare workers of Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) Mardan against the COVID-19 virus began here on Thursday.

The process was launched by administering the first vaccine to a frontline healthcare worker, Dr Awais Shaukat, at a ceremony held in the Benazir Bhutto Children Hospital (BBCH).

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Secretary for Science and Technology and Information Technology (ST& IT) Humayun Khan, Dean/CEO, Bacha Khan Medical College Professor Dr Muhammad Fazil, Director-General ST & IT Khalid Khan and other administrative officials attended the ceremony.

The office of the deputy commissioner had provided the coronavirus vaccines. The Chinese government has gifted 05 million doses of vaccine to the government of Pakistan.

Professor Dr Muhammad Fazil said that the staff performing duty in the red zone, including Intensive Care Unit, Isolation Ward and High Dependency Unit were vaccinated in the first phase.

He said initially 50 doses of the vaccines were provided to MTI Mardan, which were administered to the staff at high risk.

The dean said the frontline healthcare workers were the real heroes who put their own lives at risk during the pandemic.

Focal person for Covid-19 Associate Professor Dr Sajjad Ali said 50 vaccines would be provided to the hospital on a daily basis. He said the staff of low-risk zones would be vaccinated in the second round while those performing duty in the green zone in the last phase.