PESHAWAR: Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah on 14 August 2024 inaugurated the country’s first 24/7 Vaccination Centres at Maulvi Ameer Shah Memorial Hospital in Peshawar and the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Mardan.
A handout said the inauguration ceremony was attended by Medical Superintendent Dr Akram Shah, District Health Officer Dr Idrees, UNICEF representatives, and other relevant officials in Peshawar. In Mardan, the minister, accompanied by local MPAs and DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Javed, cut the Pakistan Day cake and officially inaugurated the Vaccination Centre.
Speaking to the media in Peshawar, Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah said that these centers would remain operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The centers feature four counters, which will remain active around the clock. Separate counters have been designated for pregnant women to receive tetanus and diphtheria vaccines, routine immunizations, and newborns as part of the Birth Dose Initiative.
Additionally, a special 24-hour counter has been established for people traveling abroad, including those going abroad for Hajj and Umrah, where they can receive COVID-19 and polio vaccinations and obtain their vaccination cards at any time. The minister announced plans to establish such centres in all District Headquarters Hospitals across the province.
He hoped these centers would significantly improve routine immunization rates and assist in controlling epidemics. “Now, parents can get their children vaccinated at any time, day or night,” he added.
Published in News Daily on 15-August-2024.
