A three-member delegation of USAID headed by its Country Director in Pakistan Dr Muhammad Tariq called on Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Kh Salman Rafiq here on Friday. USAID Punjab Director Dr Nisar Cheema and Dr Inam Ullah were included in the delegation whereas Secretary Health Jawad Rafiq Malik, Director General Health Dr Zahid Pervaiz, Additional Secretary Health (Tech) Dr Salman Shahid and other senior officers of the department were also present.
USAID Country Director informed the Advisor that his institution had been extended assistance in provision of vaccine for Routine Immunisation, Cold Chain System for Vaccine Storage, medicines of tuberculosis, establishment of Vaccine Logistic Management Information System (VLMIS), training as well as capacity-building of technical staff of Health Department.
Dr Nisar Cheema stated that USAID had been provided latest refrigerators (ILRS) for storing of vaccine and established VLMIS in 13 districts to maintain the cold chain intact and monitoring of the working of the staff, adding the system would also be expanded in other districts. He said USAID would also establish warehouses of international standard for storing vaccines, contraceptives and other logistics in Lahore and Multan.
Kh Salman Rafiq appreciated and thanked the USAID Country Director for extending technical cooperation and assistance in establishing of Cold Chain Management, VLMIS and provision of vaccine of EPI, ILRS for storage of vaccine and in other fields. It was decided that cooperation between USAID and Health Department would be further strengthened for improving routine immunisation and an EPI conference would be organised in the first week of January 2015 in Lahore in which elected public representatives, international development partners and health experts would be invited.
Comments
Comments are closed.