Govt to establish Covid vaccination counters in Islamabad: sources

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has made another progress in ongoing preparations for anti-Covid vaccination drive as it has decided to establish 12 coronavirus vaccination counters in Islamabad, citing sources, ARY News reported on Friday.

Sources privy to the development told ARY News that the counters will be established in urban and rural areas located in the federal capital Islamabad in order to facilitate its citizens.

The COVID-19 vaccination counters will be established in different health centres located in rural areas, as well as in the federally administered hospitals to administer coronavirus vaccines.

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The medical facilities where the vaccination counters will be established include Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Poly Clinic, Federal General Hospital (FGH), National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM), Social Security Hospital (SSH), Rawat Hospital, health centres of Sihala, Tarlai, Bhara Kahu, Shah Allah Ditta and Temar.

A three-member health team will be deputed on every vaccination counter which will be supervised by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC), sources added.

Earlier, the experts of Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) had initiated the special training sessions of staff ahead of launching anti-coronavirus vaccination drive which will be completed in phases across the country.

During the sessions, the health authorities are giving training to the groom master trainers, whereas, the sessions for master trainers for provinces will be completed till January 11.

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The master trainers for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) are also being trained at Islamabad, whereas, master trainers are receiving sessions at the provincial offices of the EPI.

The master trainers will conduct training sessions at district and tehsil level in provinces from January 11-15, sources added. The Expanded Programme on Immunisation will conduct the corona vaccination drive and will assist the health department in the first phase of vaccination.

Earlier in December last year, the federal government had prepared the National Immunisation Management System (NIMS) with the joint efforts of different ministries for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines across Pakistan.