(Karachi) As part of measures to protect the population from deadly COVID-19 disease, at least 14 vaccination centres have been set up across Sindh by health department, local media reported on Wednesday.

As per details, of the 14 vaccination centres, nine have been established in Karachi, including two each in the South, East and Central districts, and one each in the Korangi, Malir and West districts.

The other districts where the vaccination centres have been set up include Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah and Hyderabad. The health department has deployed trained staff at these centres equipped with all the necessary equipment and appliances, including refrigerators.

The Sindh government has already earmarked funds to the tune of Rs1.5 billion for the vaccine procurement and is in contact with Chinese, British and Russian firms to purchase as many doses of Covid-19 jabs as possible.

The first batch of the vaccine is expected to reach Karachi on February 1.

Pakistan, which is seeing rising numbers of coronavirus infections, said its vaccines would be procured from multiple sources. Approval has been given to get more than a million doses of vaccine from China.

Pakistan has increased its funds allocated for purchasing Covid-19 vaccine to $250 million and signed non-disclosure agreements with various multinational companies. Under the agreement, the recipient country will not make details of the vaccine public.

Meanwhile, Drap has authorised Oxford University-AstraZeneca, Russia's Sputnik V and Chinese state-owned firm Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use.