Punjab felicitates health officials for achieving feat

Tribune News Service

Mohali, October 28

After crossing a milestone of administering over 2 crore Covid vaccine doses in the state, a felicitation ceremony was held here under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni.

Speaking on the occasion, Om Prakash Soni said this achievement had been possible with the collective efforts of all health authorities and other stakeholders and institutions such as the WHO and USAID, who had done a commendable work to achieve this feat. He said a comprehensive vaccination campaign was being carried out across the state to cover the entire eligible population.

Amit Kumar, MD, Punjab Health Systems Corporation; Dr Andesh, Director, Health and Family Welfare; Dr Om Parkash Gojra, Director, Health Services (Family Welfare); Dr Balwinder Kaur, State Immunisation Officer; and Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, State Nodal Officer for Covid-19; were honoured for their contributions to the fight against the Covid.

District immunisation officers (DIOs) are nodal officers of this vaccination programme in each district. These DIOs were especially felicitated for their contribution to the vaccination drive.

Soni, while eulogising healthcare workers, stated that Covid vaccination drive in Punjab was on track to achieve 100 per cent inoculation of its eligible population, thereby reducing the chances of any third wave. He appealed to people to strictly adhere to the Covid-preventive measures.

The Deputy Minister also inaugurated a model vaccination centre established under the technical guidance of the USAID’s project, Reaching Impact, Saturation and Epidemic Control (RISE). The USAID will further open such model vaccination centres in each district of the state. It will also establish 20 RT-PCR labs in the state and provide technical support and training to persons in oxygen plants as well.

Later, the Deputy Minister also flagged off 11 IEC awareness vans run by Punjab State AIDS Control Society under the HIV/AIDS public awareness campaign from the Civil Hospital, Phase 6, here. Vikas Garg, Secretary, Health, and Amit Kumar, Special Secretary, Health-cum-Project Director, Punjab State AIDS Control Society, were present on the occasion.

Soni said under this 30-day campaign, people would be made aware of HIV/AIDS. Nukad natak teams were also being sent to make people aware of HIV/AIDS. He said lab technicians and counsellors had been deputed with these vans. They will visit villages, conduct free tests and provide counselling to people.

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