KU starts vaccination process at departmental level to facilitate students

Mass vaccination programme and proper implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures as described by the Federal and provincial governments and health regulatory bodies are essential to prevent the further spread of coronavirus in Pakistan.

KU starts vaccination process at departmental level to facilitate students

These views were expressed by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Karachi, Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi on Thursday. He was addressing here at the Karachi University Business School while inaugurating the vaccination centre established for the students enrolled in the department. 

The Director Health Karachi Dr Akram Sultan, District Health Officer East Dr Ashfaq, Dr Qadeer Muhammad Ali, Dr Akmal Waheed and the Chairman KUBS Dr Danish Ahmed Siddiqui and others were also present on this occasion.

“If we want to resume our daily routine as it used to be before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, then we all must get vaccinations on a topmost priority basis. Besides, getting the vaccine doses, we also have to create awareness among the masses as some quarters are still reluctant to get vaccinated,” he told. 

He mentioned that it was important to ensure that everyone in society was vaccinated on a priority basis. 

 He said that KU had started the vaccination process at the departmental level to facilitate its students and this campaign had been initiated from the KUBS and soon spread to other departments, centres, and institutions of the University of Karachi.

The KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi further said that he was very grateful to the provincial government for setting up a vaccination centre at the Centre for Bioequivalence Studies and Clinical Research (CBSCR), University of Karachi for the convenience of its employees, their families, and students.

“I am happy to say that about 95 per cent of teachers and administrative staff of the varsity have been vaccinated till to date.” He informed that earlier the University of Karachi was providing facilities to students, employees, and their families as well as other citizens at the CBSCR Research Institute, but after the recent covid-19 wave and strict implementation of the government’s SOPs during the previous lockdown, the vaccination process was limited to varsity’s employees only, but now for the convenience of its students, the process of vaccination has been started at the departmental level.

Meanwhile, the Director Health Karachi Dr Akram Sultan said that earlier one team was working at the University of Karachi but now three teams had been formed and a number of staff had also been increased to facilitate the KU’s students.

He mentioned that two teams would provide vaccinations to employees and students in the morning session while one team would be available in the evening for the students whereas female staff would be present in all teams.

Dr Sultan expressed that if required the health department would also deploy its mobile vaccination teams and also mentioned that the University of Karachi should write a letter to the National Command and Operation Centre to seek guidance regarding foreign students enrolled at the campus so that they could also avail the vaccination facility.

He informed that the Sindh Health Department would also provide facemasks, hand sanitizers, and gloves because of the large number of students studying at the University of Karachi. Later, the KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi, Dr Akram Sultan, and others visited the central vaccination centre established at the KU-CBSCR.

Originally published at The nation