Task forces to help expedite vaccination

LAHORE:In the light of the guidelines of National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), the Punjab government has decided to set up district task forces to be headed by deputy commissioners to effectively implement the strategy for speeding up corona vaccination across the province.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid at Civil Secretariat on Tuesday. The Chief Secretary Punjab, Additional Chief Secretary Home, administrative secretaries of health department, CCPO Lahore, Director General Public Relations and senior civil and military officials attended the meeting while all deputy commissioners participated through video link.

The each task force will include the district police officer, chief executive officer of district health authority and representatives of the NCOC and Provincial Disaster Management Authority as members. Similar task forces would also be formed at the tehsil level.

Addressing the meeting, Dr Yasmin said that all possible steps are being taken to speed up vaccination in the province. She said that mobile vaccination teams would also be formed to meet the target set by the NCOC for daily vaccination.

The provincial minister also issued instructions to the deputy commissioners of Lodhran, Hafizabad, Layyah, Muzaffargarh and Kasur to expedite the vaccination process in their respective areas. The Chief Secretary Punjab said that the economic conditions cannot afford repeated lockdowns and the eradication of the pandemic is possible only through vaccination. He said that the rate of positive cases is also lower in the districts where more people have been inoculated. He directed that an awareness campaign be launched about the importance and usefulness of getting vaccinated.

PHC, PMC: The Punjab Healthcare Commission and Pakistan Medical Commission will enhance cooperation with each other for regulating the health sector. It was decided at a meeting chaired by Board of Commissioners PHC Chairperson Prof Dr Attiya Mubarak Khalid here on Tuesday. PMC President Dr Arshad Taqi represented his organisation. PHC Chief Executive Officer Dr Muhammad Saqib Aziz and other officers concerned also present. The meeting participants analysed the issues being faced in bringing betterment in the health sector.