‘136,000 healthcare workers get first corona vaccine dose in Punjab’

LAHORE: SACM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said so far more than 136,000 healthcare workers have received the first dose of coronavirus vaccine whereas more than 83,000 healthcare workers have received the second dose across Punjab.

She said this while addressing a press conference at the DGPR Office Thursday. She said so far, more than 390,000 elderly people have received the first dose whereas more than 90,000 elderly people have received the second dose across the province. She said 27,323 elderly people have been vaccinated against coronavirus on the first of Ramazan in both shifts across the province including 15,130 vaccinated during the morning shift and 12,193 in the night shift. Firdous said the vaccination process of elderly people above 60 years of age is in full swing across Punjab. The single-dose vaccine is being administered to people above 70 years of age whereas sick elderly people above the age of 60 are also being vaccinated at home. She said steps are being taken to check the spread of coronavirus and the capacity of government hospitals to deal with the corona situation is continuously improving. She urged the people to take precautionary measures against coronavirus and wear face masks.

The registration process is currently under way for the vaccination of people between the age of 50 and 60 years. A target has been set to vaccinate more than 20,000 citizens daily, she added.

The SACM informed that elderly people are being vaccinated at Punjab Vaccination Centres in two shifts during Ramazan. The first shift duration is from 10 am to 4 pm whereas the second shift works from 9 pm to 1 am. She said the Rehmatul-lil-Alameen scholarship programme launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan is a gift to the nation which will provide access to undergraduate education to students from low-income families in 129 public-sector universities across the country. A budget of Rs27.93 billion has been approved for the programme, to be used over the course of the next five years.

The SACM said the Rehmatul-lil-Alameen scholarship programme is also being implemented at the provincial level and the total budget approved for this programme is Rs1 billion per annum. She said Rehmatul-lil-Alameen scholarship programme will also be introduced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

She said Islam is a peace-loving religion which doesn’t encourage violence. The government is committed to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan for promoting tolerance and inter-faith harmony. No patriotic Pakistani takes part in violent activities, she added.

She said Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has directed to set up a separate stall for distribution of sugar in Ramazan bazaars and has also taken notice on the violation of corona SOPs. She said action will be taken against those who fail to implement corona SOPs. A special cell has been established to review complaints in Ramazan bazaars.

To a question, Firdous said the Sharif family even usurped the rights of widow and failed to prove the ownership rights of Jati Umra property. She said the PML-N remnants are found everywhere and they are more loyal than the king. It is a bad omen for the PML-N lovers as now they have to follow the rule of law lest they may end up in some confinement for their past wrongdoings. The law was dormant for 35 long years but the PTI government is fulfilling its responsibility to ensure supremacy of law, she concluded.