LAHORE - The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has taken another important step in the fight against coronavirus by launching a “Vitamin D for All” campaign.
The campaign aims to increase immunity in the general public, especially frontline healthcare workers, against the coronavirus through the use of vitamin D. The campaign was formally launched at a function at the Governor House on Monday with Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar as the chief guest.
The joint venture of UHS, Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine and Scottman Pharma was inaugurated by Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar after consuming a Vitamin D tablet. In his address on the occasion, Punjab Governor said that the spirit of the people in the war against coronavirus was invaluable. “We distributed rations to 2 million families in the province with the help of philanthropists”, he said.
He added that the real heroes in this war are the frontline health workers. Especially, the Vice-Chancellors of Medical Universities showed excellent leadership.
Sarwar lauded the role of telemedicine centres set up by the medical varsities in a short period which to him “are of better quality than those in the UK and European countries”. He said that the idea of Vitamin D campaign came after watching the press conference of the British Prime Minister.
UHS Vice-Chancellor Prof. Javed Akram, KEMU VC Prof Khalid Masood Gondal, Vice-Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Medical University Prof Amir Zaman, Chief Justice (retired), Tassaduq Hussain Jilani, Prof Aftab Mohsin, Dr Soumia Iqtdar, Prof Tariq Wasim were also present on the occasion. Prof Javed Akram said that telemedicine centres had been set up on the direction of Governor Punjab and so far around nine lakh people had benefited from these centres.
He said that Vitamin D played an important role in building immunity against coronavirus. However, more than 20 per cent people in Pakistan were severely deficient in this important vitamin.
“When the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that every person in Britain would be given a dose of vitamin D to boost immunity against the deadly virus, the Governor Punjab asked us why can’t we provide Vitamin D to our people free of cost. So here we are starting a free vitamin D campaign today”, he stated adding that the scope of the campaign would be spread all over the country. Prof Khalid Masood Gondal said that more than 100 research papers on Covid-19 had so far been published by the medical universities of the province. “Just as we fought the first wave, so we will fight the second wave of coronavirus”, he resolved.
