BAHAWALPUR, Oct 8: Stock of vaccines for four childhood diseases at all tehsil headquarters hospitals (THQs), basic health units (BHUs) and rural health centres (RHCs) has been consumed and these health facilities are running short of the vaccines for the past couple of months.
The un-availability of vaccines for four major preventable diseases, including diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus and tuberculosis (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) has posed a great threat to the lives of a large number of children, particularly of rural areas, making the administration of periodical courses to them impossible.
When contacted, Health District Officer Dr. Irshad confirmed that THQs, RHCs and BHUs were running short of vaccines for the past two months.
He said that the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, could not supply the required quantity of vaccines during the past couple of months as a result of which all the health facilities in the district suspended the three-month periodical treatment courses.
However, he said, his department on Wednesday collected 25,000 vials of vaccine from the office of Punjab health director-general in Lahore against the demand of 36,000 vials and these 25,000 vials would be sent to the hospitals and dispensaries of the entire district within a few days.
SHIFTING: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has stopped the shifting of Institute of Neurosciences at Quaid-i-Azam Medical College (QMC) and Braille Printing Press from Bahawalpur to Lahore.
This was disclosed by MPA Haji Zulfiqar Ali Khan at a press conference at the Circuit House on Wednesday.
Zulfiqar said that on his initiative the chief minister agreed to build the institute here and dismissed all the moves for its shifting.
It may be recalled that former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi had announced the construction of institute of neurosciences at the QMC, costing Rs3 billion. The Punjab government, however, stayed the preparation of its PC-1 and rumours were rife that the institute would be shifted to Lahore.
The MPA also highlighted other uplift projects approved on his recommendation, including the dualisation of 30-kilometre Bahawalpur-Yazman Road costing Rs540 million and dualisation of a portion of three-marla scheme’s main road costing Rs80 million and sewerage schemes of Islami Colony and Habib Colony.
He said the construction of an overhead bridge on Multan Road and an underpass near railway station would begin soon.
DISASTER DAY: The National Disaster Awareness Day was marked here on Wednesday.
In this connection, a rally led by Social Welfare District Officer Mrs. Qamar Shafi was taken out from Farid Gate to Bahawal Victoria Hospital.
Activists of non-governmental organisations, social organisations and students participated in the rally. They offered fateha for the victims of Oct 8, 2005, earthquake in the NWFP and Azad Kashmir.
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