KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho urged the federal government to permit Sindh to procure a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
In a press conference today, Pechuho criticized the federal authorities for a slow approach in ordering vaccines, cautioning that a setback on this front would make Pakistan a pariah country.
Talking about the prime minister’s aide on health Dr Faisal Sultan’s statement that the federal government wanted to obtain the vaccine with the highest efficacy, Pechuho said:
Yesterday, Dr Sultan talking to a private news channel said, “The government’s target is to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine in the first quarter of the current year, and the government is confident of doing so. However it is pretty hard to say on which date we will get the vaccine,” he added.
Dr Azra Pechuho said that every vaccine had some side effects however there were no reports of major issues caused by any of the vaccines that are being used across the globe.
It was important for people to be vaccinated as soon as possible so that they will be protected from the serious health problems that are caused by the virus, she said.
The minister further said that the Sindh government wanted to procure Sinopharm, which is produced by China, as well as other vaccines being manufactured around the world.
Pechuho said trials of the Sinopharm vaccine had been victorious and pointed out that it was being used in China, UAE and Bahrain as well.
“Health authorities have had no reports of any problems caused by Sinopharm,” she said. “The Chinese government had allowed ICCBS (International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences) to obtain the vaccine as it conducted its trials. However the Chinese government told us to contact them through the federal government or the foreign ministry, she added.
She requested the federal government to permit them to obtain this vaccine, adding that the Centre should also play its part in providing vaccines to Sindh but the provincial government must be allowed to procure vaccines for its residents also.
The provincial minister urged that the Sindh government wanted to start a vaccination drive as soon as possible so our citizens can be safe and secure. More than one vaccine will have to be procured as it will not be possible to get just one in a quantity that would be enough to vaccinate the entire population, the health minister also stressed.
Speaking about the Sputnik V vaccine, which has been developed by Russia, Pechuho said: “We cannot place orders with manufacturers because other countries have already placed orders for huge quantities.”
The Sindh health minister ruled out the Pfizer vaccine, saying that the country does not have the required storage facilities. Pechuho said that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan had approved the AstraZeneca vaccine but it was being procured by the private sector, not the government.
She added private-sector health facilities will expect to have the vaccine by next week. The minister, however, stressed that the government wanted to obtain the vaccine so that it can be provided to the population for free.
