Punjab completes Covid-19 vaccination trial: minister.

RAWALPINDI -- The provincial government has completed Covid-19 vaccination trials and the vaccine will soon be administered to front line health workers and the elderly, in the first phase, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said.

'Trials of Covax have been completed in partnership with World Health Organisation (WHO) and Gavi and the results are being reviewed in Canada. In the next two to three weeks, complete results will come to the fore. We conducted trials jointly with Covax, therefore a large share of the vaccine shall be provided to us.

'As per the agreed policy, in the next three to four months vaccine for 20pc of the population will be given to Pakistan. Initially, the vaccine shall be provided to frontline health workers and then people over 65, suffering from other ailments. The number of recovered patients of Covid-19 is much greater than the number of new admissions,' she said.

She said the best possible treatment of Covid-19 is being provided at Punjab's public sector hospitals and there has been a significant decrease in the number of cases recently as compared to other parts of the country.

She was speaking to journalists after a visit to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU). Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department Additional Secretary Dr Asif Tufail and Vice Chancellor Rawalpindi Medical University Prof Dr Mohammad Umar were also present.

Health care workers and elderly to be vaccinated against the infection in first phase

Punjab has conducted over 2.8 million tests and contact tracing is being done rigorously. In the last 24 hours 15,300 Covid-19 tests were conducted, she said, adding the vaccine's first shipment will reach Pakistan very soon and will be distributed to all provinces as per the national policy. If notable decrease in the number of cases is observed after Feb 15, RIU's dialysis, emergency and outdoor wards will be opened for all patients

'By December 2021, all 29.3 million families of Punjab will be provided Sehat Sahulat Cards. Rs80 billion has been allocated for the programme and so far we have distributed cards among 5.2 million families of the province and around 287,000 people have availed services,' she said, adding more than 20 million children will be given the vaccination at camps and kit stations, set up at stipulated sites and educational institutions.

Responding to queries, the health minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to make Pakistan a welfare state by...