ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) on Wednesday simultaneously initiated the National Immunization Drive against Coronavirus (COVID-19) across the Country with all Federating Units including that of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
The NCOC held the Inaugural Ceremony of the National COVID Immunization Program with the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar in the Chair flanked by the National Coordinator NCOC Lieutenant General Hamood Uz Zaman Khan.
The Commercial Minister Counsellor China Xie Guoxiang was the Chief Guest where the Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Hussain Chaudhary, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan, and the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Asad Umar lauded the sacrifices and meritorious services of Front line Healthcare Workers (FLHCWs) for serving the nation during the pandemic.
“Front line Healthcare Workers are our real heroes. No doubt they have put their lives at risk in their fight against COVID-19 and we pay tribute to all of them,” he said.
پاکستان کی تمام اکائیاں ایک ہی وقت پر کرونا ویکسینیشن شروع کر رہے ہیں. ایک جھنڈا، ایک، ترانہ، ایک قوم. ہر زبان بولنے والا، ہر عقیدہ رکھنے والا شہری یکساں حقوق رکھتا ہے. جب بھی ہم اس طرح متحد ہوتے ہیں، کامیاب ہوتے ہیں. NCOC کی ٹیم کو اس مہم کی تیاری اور انتظام پر خصوصی مبارکباد pic.twitter.com/rO6WkBhGQL
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) February 3, 2021
The federal minister also thanked the government of the Peoples Republic of China for supporting Pakistan during the crisis of the COVID-19.
Asad Umar also paid tribute to the team NCOC and provincial authorities working in close liaison in the fight against COVID-19 at the forum.
The minister said the simultaneous inaugural ceremony was the center of national effort highlighting the unified collaboration of the provinces and the federal government collectively fighting the contagion.
The vaccine was administered to Rizwana Yasmeen. She is working as a charge nurse in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Isolation Unit. She and her team have been working tirelessly in the fight against COVID-19 and she is representing all medical and paramedical staff of PIMS who have been involved in managing COVID-19 patients.
The vaccinated individuals also included Javed Iqbal who is a COVID surveillance team member from the DHO Office Islamabad. He has been working in surveillance activities since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Islamabad.
Javed Iqbal and his team have been working tirelessly and have diagnosed over 10,000 positive cases in Islamabad by contact tracing and sampling.
Javed Iqbal was representing all COVID-19 surveillance teams who were the backbone of COVID-19 management in Islamabad.
Fahad Mehmood was also inoculated with a vaccine who was working in the pathology department of Shifa international dealing with COVID-19 testing.
The Shifa international hospital has been testing a major bulk of COVID-19 testing in Islamabad and has also been managing patients suffering from COVID-19 infection. Fahad Mehmood was representing all people in Shifa international.
The Sindh Ceremony was taken place at the Dow University Ojha Vaccination Center where the Provincial Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was the Chief Guest.
The Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar was the Chief Guest in the Vaccination Ceremony.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Chief Minister Mahmood Khan was the Chief Guest of the Inoculation Ceremony.
The Vaccination Ceremony in Balochistan was held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Quetta.
In Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the vaccination was held at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat whereas in Gilgit Baltistan (GB), the Inoculation Ceremony was held at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Gilgit with the Chief Minister GB Mohammad Khalid Khursheed Khan as the Chief Guest.
