Staff Reporter
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Friday urged the masses to wear facemasks amid the second wave of Coronavirus pandemic in the province. “The situation can go out of control if precautionary measures are neglected”, she expressed her fear. Dr Yasmin Rashid said that they had overcome the virus cases in Punjab province after hectic efforts and any lapse or negligence during implementation on SOPs could ruin all such measures.
The minister said that 600 areas of Punjab are under smart lockdown currently after a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases. Patients diagnosed with the Covid-19 are being admitted to different hospitals of the province.
Meanwhile, the health minister issued a deadline for enhancing immunization coverage to 90 % by June 2021 in a meeting on Friday. The meeting was attended by Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Capt (retd) Usman Younis, Special Secretary Saqib Mannan, Additional Secretary Technical Dr. Asim Altaf, Director General Health Services Dr. Haroon Jehangir, Prof Javed Chaudhry, Director Punjab Hepatitis and Infection Control Program Dr. Khalid Mahmood, Director TB Control Program Dr. Saeed Akhtar, Director EPI Dr. Bashir Ahmed, Dr. Zulfiqar and Dr. Naeeem from IRMNCH Program, Director Policy and Strategic Planning Unit Ms Shagufta Zarin, Director Non Communicable Disease Program and others.
The minister said: “The freshly recruited 650 vaccinators must be posted immediately in all districts to improve coverage. These are in addition to over 1100 vaccinators already brought in system recently. By end of December the process of addition of another 1000 vaccinator will be completed and by this, hiring on 50 % vacant positions will be complete. This is for the first time since 2014 that vaccinators in such numbers have been included in the system. Urban slums are fast emerging a problem area and there has to be a household survey. Every family head must be communicated the status of immunization of children through mobile phones. Special program has to be initiated for Lahore and Dera Ghazi Khan to improve coverage with the help of latest technology. The microplans of polio program must be used for EPI Program. All mother and child centers are being upgraded.”
