Chinese envoy lauds NCOC efforts for saving lives during COVID

Islamabad: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong Monday lauded efforts of the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) for effectively fighting the pandemic and saving people’s lives during COVID-19.

Addressing the handing over ceremony of first tranche of COVID-19 vaccine received from China through special Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft here at the Nur Khan Airbase, he said the NCOC’s national strategy against the contagion was commendable and would like to compliment the NCOC for its endeavours to save public lives.

He said: “Today, the vaccine donated by the Chinese Government has arrived in Pakistan. I am proud to announce that Pakistan is the first country in the world to receive the Chinese government donated vaccine.”

He believed that everyone would agree to him that it was not only the vaccine to the people needed in Pakistan but more importantly a new manifestation to” our iron brotherhood”.

“President Xi Jinping has repeatedly said that the Chinese COVID-19 vaccines, once developed and put into use, will be global public goods. China has honored its commitment. Keeping the huge global need for vaccine in mind, China has lived to its best to offer assistance and support.”

Pakistan, he said “as our closest friend, was the priority of our cooperation”. He appreciated the Pakistani government for its facilitation and cooperation in the approval of the Emergency Use Authorization for Sinopharm’s vaccine and the phase III trial with the Cansino company of China. “We expect more cooperation to follow and more people to benefit from it,” he remarked.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and SAPM on Health Dr Faisal Sultan were also present on the occasion.

The vaccine tranche would be transferred to the Central Storage Center in Islamabad where it would be provided to federating units in compliance with all health guidelines.

The vaccine transfer plan was finalized by the NCOC where the vaccine doses would be provided on airplanes to Sindh and Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan to maintain temperature and save time during the supply.

The first batch of vaccines would be administered entirely to the frontline healthcare workers fighting COVID-19.

As the Frontline Healthcare Workers were the real heroes of the country who were fighting against the pandemic. The first dose of vaccine was being administered to healthcare workers in accordance with the priorities set by the NOOC and all stakeholders.

Adult vaccination centers were set up across the country where the entire vaccination process would be controlled by digital mechanisms.

For the first phase of vaccination process, 189 centers have been set up in Punjab and 14 in Sindh, 280 vaccination centers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 44 in Balochistan and 14 in Islamabad to conduct national inoculation against the Coronavirus.

Moreover, vaccination would also be carried out through 25 centers in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 16 centers in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Meanwhile, the NCOC would act as a nerve center throughout the vaccination campaign whereas core vaccination centers were set up at the provincial, district and tehsil levels for inoculation.

The entire vaccination process would work in unison with the National Immunization Management System with minimal human intervention. The vaccination process would begin nationwide on February 3.