Sindh seeks centre's permission to procure Covid-19 vaccine.

KARACHI -- Fearing that Pakistan may become the last country to launch the vaccination programme due to the 'lethargic' attitude and 'slow' process of federal authorities, the Sindh government on Saturday 'requested' Islamabad to allow it to procure by itself the Covid-19 vaccine from different countries.

'The way the federal government is toeing its vaccination procurement plan, I fear that Pakistan would be the last country to have such a cure,' Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho told a press conference.

Accompanied by Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and the health secretary, she said: 'We on our own have contacted a few countries and from China we got the response that we should come through our federal government. The challenge requires a speedy response. So I request the federal government to allow us procurement of the vaccines as well so we can expedite the process. We don't want any interruption in the federal government's plan but want to run our own drive parallel.'

She said that the efforts of the Sindh government and the health authorities of the province managed to contain the spread of the virus to a large extent and now it should move towards the vaccine like other parts of the world.

'Look at other countries like the UK, US, Europe all rushing for vaccines,' she said. 'Even African countries have started procurement. India has started vaccination and so has Turkey. You have been left behind in the race. If we continue to sit back, our people will get sick and die. You will become a pariah internationally. Like polio, Pakistanis will be required to show a coronavirus vaccination certificate to travel in any part of the world.'

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