Sindh becomes first province to draft COVID-19 vaccination plan

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Friday communicated a detailed plan for the upcoming COVID-19 vaccination drive under which first priority would be given to front-line health workers then senior citizens and people with underlying conditions before turning to the general public.

An official said that Sindh had become the first province in the country that designed such a strategy to meet the challenge.

The plan was announced in a letter sent to deputy commissioners across the province from the Emergency Operation Centre for Polio Eradication explaining administrative and technical measures about the campaign once the coronavirus vaccine was made available in the country.

The provincial health authorities have decided to replicate the polio eradication plan for the vaccination of millions of people across the province.

"It has been decided by the competent authority that additional deputy commissioner (ADC-1) being a focal person of polio eradication will also act as focal person for administration of COVID-19 vaccine (as and when introduced)," said the letter.

Phase-wise implementation After defining technical and administrative measures for the COVID-19 vaccination program, the letter defined the phases of the plan with a priority of people who should be identified first for COVID-19 protection. "Phase 1 frontline health workers (staff working in ICU, HDU, isolation wards, RRTs and hospital emergencies, etc). Phase 2 60+ years old/senior citizens. Phase 3 people with co-morbidities (to be confirmed from previous investigation and prescription), Phase 4 general population," the letter read.

The provincial plan came to a couple of days after the Sindh administration had sought the support of the federal government to prepare and plan for the effective vaccination strategy.

As the federal government announced that the COVID-19 vaccine would be available in March next year, Sindh Health Minister, Dr Azra Pechuho had written a letter to Special Assistant to PM on National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination, Dr Faisal Sultan.

The minister sought a commitment on the COVID-19 vaccine doses to be delivered to Sindh, logistics needed to maintain the cold-chain, vaccination protocol, communication strategy and to establish a dashboard for data of vaccinated citizens.

As the response from Islamabad is awaited, the Sindh health administration has apparently prepared its parallel plan to meet the challenge.

The letter also asked the additional deputy commissioners in coordination with district health officers (DHOs) and medical superintendents to immediately start working on the administrative part of the plan, which included training of personnel and identification of health facilities where the vaccination would be made available.

"Nominate at each hospital/health facility designated place to administer."