SHC tells govt to submit report on Covid-19 vaccine import policy

The Sindh High Court directed a federal law officer on Tuesday to submit a report with regard to the general import of Covid-19 vaccines in the country.

The directive came during a hearing of a petition seeking the issuance of an injunction for the hospitals to provide first aid to every patient at the initial stage without calling/asking for producing the Covid-19 test report first.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the federal government had not made any plan with regard to the general import of vaccines for the people of the country. A division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar inquired the federal law officer about the vaccine import policy. The federal law officer sought time to seek instructions from the federal government in this regard.

To a query with regard to the vaccination of doctors and citizens above 60 years, the provincial law officer said the federal government had decided the priority group in second phase for the Covid-19 vaccination comprised people above 60.

He submitted that the recommended vaccine for people above 60 is Oxford AsterZeneca, which is safer in this age, and the federal government has already announced the registration of persons above 60 in this regard. Giving details of the registration process, he said people above 60 have started registering in Sindh, and 7,337 people of 60 to 65 years of age and 21,126 people of above 65 years of age have registered so far.

The court directed the federal law officer to submit a response from the federal government with regard to the general import of Covid-19 vaccines, and adjourned the hearing till March 30. The provincial law officer said vaccination had already started and the government had made a policy in this regard.