Sindh Health Minister Dr. AzraFazalPechuho has demanded the federal government to pre-purchase vaccines of various infections.
Scientists across the globe are busing preparing a vaccine to neutralise the novel coronavirus which has claimed more than 150,000 lives so far. The Sindh health minister believes this may cause a shortage of vaccines used to treat other infections. Hence, she asked the Centre to buy them in advance. She said so on Saturday during a meeting of the National Command and Control Centre chaired by Planning Minister Asad Umar.
“Immunisation against polio, hepatitis, chickenpox, pneumonia, whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria and other illnesses is very necessary,” said Pechuho. “The Central Procurement Committee will achieve the vaccine target by 2021.”
It is to note that last month, DrPechuho in a press conference at her office had said, “It is not possible for the federal government to look after the hospitals’ affairs from Islamabad,” adding that the service delivery was a mandate of the provincial government after the 18th Amendment.
She pointed out that the federal government had not allocated funds for the hospitals, raising questions about its intentions. “If they allocate a budget for them, we will be assured that they are serious about taking charge of them,” she added. “They don’t talk to the Sindh government on the issue but [their delegations] visit the hospitals for photo sessions.”
Insisting that the Centre come up with a budget allocation by next month, she said that her department would formulate a plan if they did not do so. “We think the province [Sindh] can run the hospitals’ affairs smoothly,” she added.
