ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), the Pakistan federal government’s central body dealing with the pandemic, has started registering frontline health care workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the Center said on its website on Sunday.
Pakistan is currently battling its second wave of the virus and recorded 1,877 new infections on Monday, with 32 deaths, a drop from previous weeks.
Last month, Pakistan said it will purchase 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China’s Sinopharm, the first official confirmation of a vaccine purchase by the South Asian country.
“Registration process of frontline health care workers (HWCs) of both public and private health facilities has been started in provincial health systems (Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces) and Resource Management System (Islamabad, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir),” the NCOC announced on its website.
The NCOC defined frontline workers as all staff at public and private COVID-19 hospitals and isolation centers, which includes clerical, administrative and sanitary workers and guards in addition to doctors, nurses and paramedics. Public health staff involved with testing, tracking and quarantining would also be registered, as well as staff that visited patients at home to collect samples.
Others who would be registered include: health care workers deputed to inject the COVID-19 vaccine and essential staff at Adult Vaccine Counters (AVCs) involved in handling of individuals being vaccinated; all laboratory staff for both public and private sector facilities who were collecting and processing specimens of COVID-19; staff carrying out screening and triage of suspected COVID patients in non-COVID-19 hospitals, emergency departments and points of entries; staff of private or public sector ambulance services dealing with COVID-19 suspected patients; and general practitioners registered with their respective health care commissions.
Giving details on the registration process, the NCOC said frontline workers in Punjab, Sindh and KP in both public and private hospitals would be registered at the provincial health system by the relevant health facility. Healthcare workers should contact their respective health facility administration to confirm that all required details had been communicated to the concerned district and provincial health departments for registration.
“HCWs in Islamabad, Balochistan GB and AJK will be directly registered in Resource Management System (RMS) by the concerned health facility/ district health department,” NCOC said. “HCWs to contact health facility administration to confirm all required details have been entered in the system by health facility focal person for RMS or by district health department. All HCWs in other relevant health facilities to contact local health authorities for information related to registration.”
Pakistan starts registering frontline workers for coronavirus vaccination
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Pakistan starts registering frontline workers for coronavirus vaccination
- Registration process of public and private sector health workers starts in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir
- Last month, Pakistan said it will purchase 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China’s Sinopharm, the first official confirmation of a vaccine purchase by the South Asian country
Pakistan warns of landslides, avalanche in hilly areas, urges caution
- At least nine people were killed when an avalanche struck a house in Chitral district this week
- Heavy snowfall may trigger road closures in several areas from Jan. 26 to 27, Met Office says
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Sunday warned of possible landslides and avalanches in hilly regions in the country’s north, urging residents, travelers and tourists to exercise caution.
Cloudy weather with intermittent rain, thunderstorm and snowfall is expected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and upper Punjab, while heavy rain with moderate to intense snowfall are likely in hilly areas on Jan. 26-27. Rain or thunderstorms are also likely in southern Punjab and upper Sindh during this period.
Heavy snowfall may cause road closure, slippery conditions in Naran, Kaghan, Dir, Swat, Kalam, Chitral, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Shangla, Astore, Hunza, Skardu, Murree, Galliyat, Neelum valley, Bagh, Poonch, Haveli, Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Noushki, Harnai and Zhob, according to the PMD.
“[There is a] possibility of the landslides/avalanche in hilly areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and [Azad] Kashmir during the period,” the Met Office said in a statement.
“Tourists are advised to remain extra cautious and avoid unnecessary traveling during the forecast period.”
The PMD statement came two days after at least nine people were killed while an injured child was rescued after an avalanche struck a house in KP’s Chitral district, according to officials.
Rescuers evacuated dozens of residents and tourists as heavy snow blocked roads in Khyber, South Waziristan and Swat districts, where authorities cleared routes and provided food, clothing and bedding, the Rescue 1122 service said.
Tens of thousands of tourists flock to Pakistan’s scenic north every winter to witness snowfall, often neglecting warnings from disaster management authorities.
In Jan. 2022, at least 21 people, including children, died after they were stuck in freezing temperatures during a snowstorm in the Pakistani hill station of Murree.
