Soon Pakistan would be self-reliant in Covid vaccine production, NIH head claims

ISLAMABAD: The national assembly standing committee on national health has Tuesday held a session to discuss the situation of public hospitals in the federal capital while mulling over the reforms in the National Insititute of Health (NIH), ARY News reported.

The session, chaired by legislator Khalid Hussain Magsi, had over the head of NIH Dr Aamer Ikram who confirmed the transformation of the institute with new branches being set up in all provinces of the country.

Dr Ikram said local production of Covid vaccines is in the pipeline and claimed that soon Pakistan would be self-reliant in the vaccine production front.

Vaccine plant up-gradation is underway at the NIH and we are looking at the production of single-dose Covid shot soon with the help of a Chinese company, said Dr Ikram.

Separately on the imposition of the Medical Teaching Institute (MTI) Act, representative of Islamabad’s PIMS Hospital Dr. Asfandyar said the hospitals here are fraught with a number of issues to deal with and the state has not delivered on its promises made to doctors earlier.

The daily Outpatient Department (OPD) standing is of PIMS is 7,000 while 3,000 is of the emergency, he said, adding that due steps are not being taken by the government in addressing the long-standing matters.

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Responding which the Special Assitant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan said the government accepted all the demands raised by PIMS Hospital doctors including their promotions.

The government intends to hammer out and implement reforms in the health sector, the SAPM said, adding that it’s amongst the PM’s visions to ensure the best healthcare facility to a layman.

With this, the standing committee adjourned the discussion on MIT Act implementation until the next session.