Karachi’s second largest Covid-19 vaccination centre starts working at LNH

The second largest adult vaccination centre (AVC) of Karachi for Covid-19 vaccination has started functioning at Liaquat National Hospital (LNH), where frontline healthcare workers are being inoculated, but in the coming days, the public would also be vaccinated against the infectious disease, Sindh health department and LNH officials said on Tuesday.

“The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had approached us to ascertain if we are willing to establish an adult vaccination centre at Liaquat National Hospital.

We said it is a national cause and we are more than happy to offer our services. So, today, an adult vaccination centre at the LNH has started functioning, for which the Covid-19 vaccine is being provided by the government,” Dr Salman Faridi, medical director of the LNH, told The News.

Comprising 13 cubicles and a seating capacity of over 60 persons, the centre is being used to vaccinate frontline healthcare workers from public and private health facilities, Dr Faridi said, adding that as soon as the government allowed the vaccination of elderly and other members of the public, they would be happy to vaccinate them.

“At the moment, our understanding is that the government would provide the Covid-19 vaccine to the vaccination centres, which would be used to inoculate the adult population free of charge. But we are offering the space, our material resources and trained staff to vaccinate people. We are doing it as a national service and are happy for that.”

Dr Faridi said they had established a purpose-built air-conditioned centre keeping in view the approaching summer. He added that the adult vaccination centre at the hospital would work as the government-designated centre for Covid-19 vaccination.

“Two of our doctors -- Dr Saleha Anwar and Dr Kiran Akhtar -- have played a special role in establishing this centre within a week and all credit goes to them for this remarkable achievement,” he added.

Project Director Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI) Dr Akram Sultan said that following multiple meetings with the LNH administration and visits to the place, the vaccination centre had been established “with its full functionalities”. He added that the hospital had arranged 13 cubicles at the centre in addition to two big halls with a seating capacity of 60 people at a time.

“They have provided trained and qualified staff for the centre, and also arranged a separate AEFI area with crash trolley equipped with emergency medicines and support. This setup will run from Monday to Saturday from 9 to 5,” Dr Sultan said, adding that five computer systems had been assigned for this setup along with a dedicated team.

They were showing their utmost cooperation in everything, he said, adding that they were satisfied with the LNH arrangements and hoped it would go a long way in helping them

with mass vaccination near future campaigns.