ISLAMABAD - Around 54% of the eligible population in the capital has been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine leading to reducing the admission burden on hospitals, The Nation learnt on Saturday.
A senior official of the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) informed The Nation that around 1.4 million persons in the capital are eligible for vaccination and nearly 790,000 have been fully or partially vaccinated.
The official also said that the vaccination trend in the capital is comparatively better in other cities which led to the vaccination of around 54% population of the city.
The data available with The Nation said that around 300,000 eligible people have been partially vaccinated and 470,000 have been fully vaccinated.
Officials also informed that around 25000 vaccinations per day have been done during the last 10 days and the number is increasing as well.
Meanwhile, the District Health Office (DHO) in its daily update on COVID-19 said that the virus surveillance positivity ratio surged to 12.07%. It also said that 4,342 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours and 524 people were tested COVID-19 positive. The vaccination incharge at Federal Government Services Polyclinic Hospital Dr. Niaz Khan informed The Nation that the better vaccination trend in the capital is because the government and different private organizations have instructed their employees to get vaccinated.
He said that though after the surge of delta variant, the COVID-19 cases have increased but vaccination will reduce the hospital admissions due to the virus.
He said that the majority of the cases reaching hospitals are those who have not been vaccinated, while few re-infection cases are also being noted.
However, in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) out of 140 COVID-19 designated beds, 112 are occupied.
The data available with The Nation said that there are 21 ventilators for COVID-19 patients and eight are filled, 99 high flow oxygen beds and 84 are occupied with patients, and 20 low flow oxygen beds and all are filled.
The data also said that three COVID-19 patients expired in the last 24 hours and seven are on ventilators.
PIMS Media Coordinator Dr. Waseem Khawaja said that despite the surge in cases after the emergence of the delta variant, the hospital has the strength to deal with the COVID-19 patients. He said that the majority of the COVID-19 patients being admitted in the hospital are either non-vaccinated or non-residents of the capital.
“People must get vaccinated as vaccines are working in reducing load on hospitals,” he said. The DHO office also announced availability of Russian made Sputnik-V vaccine for the residents of the capital from the public vaccination center.
The Sputnik-V was earlier available in the private set-up and was being administered for above Rs12000 for its two doses.
“The general public is hereby informed that Sputnik V vaccine is available as 1st dose for all in the vaccination centres of Islamabad,” said the DHO. The vaccine is available at Rural Health Centre Tarlai, KRL Hospital and Mass Vaccination Centre, F-9 Park and anyone above 18 years of age can get his/her 1st dose of Sputnik with the advice that 2nd dose must be given exactly on the 21st day without any delay. Director General (DG) NHS, Rana Mohammad Safdar had said that all vaccines are working against all variants in reducing its severity and spread, so people must get vaccinated with any available vaccine.