COVID 19: Sindh plans to vaccinate its adult population through Chinese vaccine

The Sindh government has said it will procure 20 million doses of the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine directly from China to vaccinate all of its adult population, and in this regard it is in contact with the federal government for necessary approvals, provincial health minister Dr Azra Pechuho said on Monday.

Following a meeting with Chinese Consul General Li Bijian at the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi, along with health secretary Kazim Jatoi and other officials, Dr Pechuho said they had requested the Chinese consul general for the provision of 20 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to vaccinate all the adult population in the province.

She said at the moment, frontline healthcare workers were being vaccinated in the country, including Sindh, but the number of doses received by the provincial authorities were limited, and in order to save the lives of people, more doses of the vaccine were required.

Lauding the role of China, its government and people managing Covid-19 in Pakistan, the health minister said they had requested the Chinese authorities to assist Pakistan, especially the Sindh government, in the provision of health services, improving the health sector and transferring technology in the field of medicine.

Dr Pechuho said that the government had invited the Chinese authorities to establish health facilities and health facilitation network in Sindh, and in this regard the provincial government was providing all the necessary support and facilities to the Chinese authorities and their health sector.

Lauding the high standards of the Chines health sector, she said they had decided to send doctors and paramedics from Sindh to China for training, and hoped that cooperation between Pakistan and China in the field of health and medical sectors would also grow.

Dr Pechuho said they were in contact with the federal government and the health authorities for necessary approvals to procure vaccines directly from China and other countries of the world.

On the occasion, Chinese Consul General in Karachi Li Bijian offered his complete support to the Sindh government, saying that he would talk to his government for the transfer of health technology to Sindh.