Gift of 500,000 vaccine doses from China arrives in Pakistan
By
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan receiving the vaccine doses from a Chinese official at Nur Khan Base, Rawalpindi, on March 17, 2021. Twitter/nhsrofficial
PM s aide on health Dr Faisal Sultan and health ministry officials receive vaccine doses at Nur Khan Airbase.
Vaccine doses to be distributed among the provinces for inoculation.
China has always supported Pakistan in times of need, says Dr Sultan.
ISLAMABAD: Another batch of 500,000 doses of Sinopharm s coronavirus vaccine from Pakistan s iron brother China landed in Nur Khan Airbase on Tuesday, the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination said.
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A health official takes a swab sample from an elderly woman to test for Covid-19. PHOTO: AFP
Why Covid-19 continues to be a real threat for Pakistan’s older population
The impression that we have been somehow spared by the pandemic is simply false
As of February 19, 2021, according to the
, Pakistan had 568,506 confirmed cases of cornavrius, and 12,527 total deaths since the pandemic first arrived in the country. In the 24 hours preceding February 19
th, 1,245 new cases and 40 deaths were recorded. A total of 531,840 positive Covid-19 cases have recovered and about 1,626 cases are in critical condition as of the time of writing this article. So far, 8,602,515 tests have been conducted across the country and our daily testing capacity has hovered around the 35,000 mark since September 2020; out of a
OVER the last few days, I have received text messages, both in English and Urdu, from the Federal Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, warning about the dangers of combustible smoking, requesting to give it up, and also informing that smoking at public places is a punishable offence under the law.
Apparently, it seems a positive initiative. However, if this is an effort to control tobacco use in Pakistan, regretfully it can only be termed half-hearted.
In Pakistan, only less than three per cent smokers successfully give up smoking every year. This is mainly because smoking cessation services in Pakistan are extremely limited in their scope and availability. There is one smoking cessation clinic working at the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicines. But smoking is not limited to the capital of the country, which has more than 25 million tobacco users.
Helping hands
February 13, 2021
Over the last two days, I have received SMSes from the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination (MoNHSRC) that warn about the dangers of smoking and inform people that smoking in public places is a punishable offence. Through these messages, the authorities aim at encouraging people to stop smoking. Although it is a positive initiative, it can’t help create a smoke-free environment. In Pakistan, only less than three percent smokers successfully give up smoking in a year. It is mainly because smoking cessation programmes in the country are extremely limited in their scope and availability. There is one smoking cessation clinic at the National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicines in Islamabad. But smoking is not limited to the capital of the country. If the healthcare authorities are serious about controlling the use of tobacco, they should expand smoking cessation programmes and make them accessible. All such messages sho