KARACHI: Dr Akram Sultan, Director, Health Services, Karachi, had asserted that booster dose would be introduced in Sindh in December for people. Vaccines would be free of cost, and the Heath department, Sindh, had already forwarded a request to the federal government to provide COVID-19 vaccines.
He articulated these outlooks during a seminar on “How to prevent Dengue and Coronavirus” planned by the Medical and Social Welfare Committee of Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, and Dr Mehboob Baloch moderated the seminar.
Dr Seemin Jamali, Ex-Executive Director, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Dr Sadia Amir, Infectious Diseases Specialist, Dr Beenish, Senior Consultant, Prof Dr Farhan Issa and Dr Qaiser Sajjad, Chairman Medical and Social Welfare Committee, presented their point of view.
Dr Akram Sultan updated the audience that the federal government had barred flights to South Africa and other African countries in the light of directives dispensed by National Command and Control Centers to deal with the new COVID-19 variant. He further stated that the government is invigilating strictly at airports to counter the possible 5th wave of COVID-19. Dr Akram Sultan highlighted that the COVID-19 vaccination of about 10 million people had been completed in Karachi, which is around 50 per cent of the total population.
In the speech, Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad said that a new wave of COVID-19 is expected in December and January. Still, regrettably, the federal and provincial administrations have relaxed the constraints regarding SOPs.
He recommended that screening at airports and borders should be tightened. Moreover, he claimed that the tragedy is that Pakistan had not been able to eradicate malaria in the last 73 years, and now dengue, Chikungunya, and other viruses are spreading in the country.
Dr Seemin Jamali acknowledged that Pakistan had embraced an enhanced strategy than other nations in the region to combat the COVID-19. Furthermore, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff had worked together to condense the repercussions of a global epidemic. Additionally, Dr Seemin Jamali asserted that people should avoid going to crowded places gratuitously and take preventive measures.
Dr Sadia Amir expressed that more than two thousand COVID-19 patients have been treated at the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Institute of Trauma in one year, while more than 100 dengue cases have been reported so far. She recommended the citizens to take cautionary measures and wear masks.
Senior Consultant Dr Beenish disclosed that more than 3500 COVID-19 patients were doctored at Sindh Infectious Disease Hospital & Research Center, Nipa, while the mortality rate persisted to 25 to 30 per cent. She revealed that the number of cases was decreasing bit by bit and appealed to the audience to take precautionary measures.
Prof Dr Farhan Issa publicized that 100 to 500 dengue positives are being reported every day. He highlighted that new diseases are being surfaced; therefore, people need to take precautions. He applauded the strategy of Pakistan to counter COVID-19 and stated that the stratagem of Pakistan is better than neighbouring states.