Asad Umar, Federal Minister for Planning and Chairman of the National Command and Operation Centre revealed in a tweet that there were emerging reports of the coronavirus vaccinations being given to VIP’s in Sindh, instead of healthcare workers.
Following this, a meeting of the NCOC, headed by Dr. Faisal Sultan, was orchestrated, where the Sindh government was urged to prioritise healthcare workers instead of close acquaintances.
Regarding the complaints, Asad Umar said, “Taking immediate notice, a meeting of the NCOC team headed by Faisal Sultan with representatives of Sindh government, today, strongly urged the vaccination of only healthcare workers.”
On February 3, Pakistan’s coronavirus inoculation drive kicked off at the headquarters of the National Command and Operation Center in Islamabad. Asad Umar, headed the vaccination ceremony where frontline workers were one of the first to be vaccinated against the virus. He expressed his gratitude to frontline workers, terming them as the ‘true heroes’ of the pandemic. Earlier, Dr Rana Imran Sikander, head of the coronavirus ward at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) became the first person to receive the vaccination.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also outlined the demographic coverage of the inoculation programme, informing the citizens that the vaccine will be first administered to health workers working with Covid-19 patients, followed by the elderly in the high-risk age group.
