Centre allows Sindh to buy COVID-19 vaccine

KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho Tuesday said they were negotiating with Chinese government for the direct purchase of single-dose Convidecia vaccine, developed by the Cansino Biologicals Inc after federal government allowed Sindh to purchase the COVID-19 vaccine with their resources.

“After receiving the green signal from the federal authorities, we have started negotiating with the Chinese government for the purchase of single-dose Convidecia vaccine directly from Chinese firm Cansino Bio. We have earmarked Rs500 million in this regard so that we could vaccinate maximum number of people in Sindh without waiting for the vaccine provided by the center”, Dr Azra Pechuho said while addressing a news conference at Sindh Assembly building on Tuesday.

The provincial minister said Chinese authorities have assured them that single-dose vaccine can be provided to Sindh government after the green signal from the federal government and added that as soon as they get hold of the first shipment, they would start inoculating people with it in over 171 Adult Vaccination Centers (AVCs) in the province.

Accompanied by Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah and Parliamentary Secretary Health in Sindh Assembly Qasim Soomro, the provincial health minister said earlier they had planned to procure two-dose Russian vaccine Sputnik V but it was extremely expensive and not affordable for them but added that single-dose Chinese vaccine was both finically and logistically viable option for the Sindh government.

Dr Azra Pechuho said as the UK variant of coronavirus had wreaked havoc in various cities of Punjab, Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan People’s Party and the Sindh government had decided to postpone the ceremonies planned on the death anniversary of former premier Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto while Urs of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar at Sehwan Sharif has also been postponed to prevent people from contracting the viral disease.

“As many as 434 people have died in Punjab during last one week where over 27000 COVID-19 positive cases have been reported”, she said adding that over 9000 cases were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where 142 deaths have been reported in last one week while 3307 cases have been reported in Sindh where only 30 deaths have been reported.

“In order to curb the spread of the virus, we have started screening travelers on buses and at train stations to monitor the situation and prepare for it appropriately. If a traveler is having fever, his or her PCR test for COVID-19 would be done, their districts will be notified and the screened person will be asked to isolate at home for two weeks and their family will be asked to do the same”, she added.

According to her, as many as 362000 doses of Sinhopharm vaccine had been provided by the federal government for 181000 people, adding that they have so far inoculated 163808 people with the first dose while over 59586 people have received the second dose of the vaccine.

“The remaining doses of the vaccine are 52111, of which 20,000 doses of Sinopharm were received yesterday. Around one million doses of Sinopharm vaccine would reach Pakistan tomorrow while 60,000 doses of Cansino vaccine would also be reaching Pakistan tomorrow”, she said adding that around 200,000 doses of Sinopharm and 8-10 thousand doses of Cansino would be provided to Sindh.

Urging people to get themselves vaccinated, she said people should also follow the SOPs, use masks and follow the instructions regarding social distancing and added that unfortunately most of the poor and uneducated people were avoiding to get vaccinated although the vaccine was freely available.

Stray dogs

Meanwhile on culling of stray dogs, she said elimination of stray dogs was only possible through culling but deplored that people working for animal rights were more concerned about stray animals than innocent children. “Local government people have started culling the stray dogs because the only way to prevent people from them is getting rid of them”, she added.