Coronavirus vaccination drive likely to meet 100pc target in Multan in eight months

MULTAN: The current pace of the coronavirus vaccination drive demonstrates that in Multan division it would meet the 100 percent target in terms of inoculating people in the next eight months.

According to official documents, a continuous fluctuation in the vaccination drive is witnessed at a wider scale but overall drive results showed increased vaccination than the daily target set for the Multan division.

Doctors underlined the need to do more and expedite vaccination drives as the corona spike and fourth wave is knocking at the doors. Some health professionals were of the view that the pace of current vaccination is slow due to shortage of health professionals and the vaccination drive needs to accelerate to combat the fourth wave.

When the daily target of vaccination is compared with the vaccinated population, it shows the vaccination proportion has crossed the daily vaccination target many times.

Documents available with The News say the health department compiles statistics, reports from Multan, Vehari, Khanewal and Lodhran have established that districts could vaccinate 8 percent 18 plus population in the last six months starting from February 4 to July 12, which is much higher than the daily target set by the divisional health authorities.

The statistics show if the daily official vaccination target is followed then it would require at least 14 years but the over capacity vaccination has reduced the time frame from 14 years to fourteen months, statistics said.

The health department had fixed vaccination target of 18 plus population for Multan division in February last at 7, 481, 747 persons including Multan 2, 894, 516, Vehari 1, 767, 442, Khanewal 1, 782, 411 and Lodhran 1, 037, 378 people.

The total numbers of 939, 345 persons have been vaccinated in the Multan division in the last six months until July 12. In Multan district 441, 106 persons have been vaccinated out of 2, 894, 516 persons. The Vehari district has vaccinated 218, 063 persons out of 1, 767, 442 persons. The Khanewal district has vaccinated 177, 784 persons out of 1, 782, 411 persons. The Lodhran district has vaccinated 102, 392 persons out of 1, 037, 378 persons, statistics said.

On the other hand, the numbers of 6, 542, 402 persons are waiting their term to be vaccinated in the Multan division in the next eight months. The 18 plus population waiting for their term to vaccinate include Multan 2, 453, 410 persons, Vehari 1, 549, 379, Khanewal 1, 604, 627 and Lodhran 934, 986 persons.

Talking to The News, Pakistan Medical Association president Prof Dr Masood Haraj feared corona spike as citizens were unable to strictly follow coronavirus SOPs and he feared a spike in corona cases in coming days.

He said the Nishtar Medical University and hospital are facing a serious shortage of medical staff and the hospital unable to meet the major challenge. He said severe funds shortage has affected all sections of hospitals in terms of payment of salaries for doctors and other staff and smooth running of different equipment. He said currently the hospital was facing more than 50 percent vacancies of teaching faculty and was lying vacant for a long time.

According to targeted vaccination from Feb 4-July 12 is 266, 400 at 44, 400 daily targets. The vaccinated population should have been 266, 400 in the last six months from Feb-July 21 but it has jumped to 939, 345, which is 3.5pc higher than the target. If the daily target is followed then next 14 years are required to complete vaccination in all the four districts in Multan division. However, if the pace of current vaccination is followed then it needs seven months to complete the vaccination target.