By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: District Health Officer Islamabad, Dr. Muhammad Zaeem Zia has said that the District Health Office (DHO) would try to set up a Corona Vaccination Centre in collaboration with the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) in its premises and in main markets and shopping malls of Islamabad for the vaccination of business community and their employees as increased vaccination would help in lifting the restrictions on businesses and facilitate better growth of business activities.
He stated this during his visit to ICCI on Tuesday along with Dr. Fawad Khalid Khan, Additional District Health Officer. He discussed the requirements and mechanism of establishing a vaccination centre at ICCI.
Dr. Muhammad Zaeem Zia said that DHO Islamabad was outreaching to other takeholders for increasing the vaccination of people in Islamabad in order to minimize the spread of Covid-19 pandemic that would help in opening all businesses as well. He said that 30 percent of the population of Islamabad has been vaccinated so far and the target was to vaccinate 70 to 80 percent of the population to develop herd immunity and get rid of the need for restrictions and lockdowns.
He said that vaccination has brought down the positivity rate in Islamabad from 19 percent to 1.6 percent making it the only Capital in the world with minimum positive cases. He said that vaccinated people were least likely to transmit virus to others, therefore, maximum people should opt for vaccination to control the spread of coronavirus.
The DHO assured that ICCI proposal for increasing the business timings would be given due consideration. He nominated Dr. Fawad Khalid Khan, Additional DHO Islamabad as focal person to work with ICCI for setting up vaccination centre in its premises.
Speaking at the occasion, President ICCI Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan assured full support of ICCI in setting up vaccination centre in its premises. He proposed that DHO in collaboration with ICCI should also open vaccination centres in main markets, Centaurus and Giga Mall, Islamabad as a large number of people daily visited these business areas and vaccination centres in them would help in rapid increase in vaccination of people.
He said that ICCI has been making efforts for removal of all restrictions on businesses to normalize the business activities and would provide all possible support for vaccination of maximum people that would help in opening all businesses to normal operation. He said that ICCI would coordinate with market associations and industries to invite members of the business community and their employees for vaccination.
