Shahzad Rasheed
PESHAWAR: An International Traveler Vaccination Center has been inaugurated at the Federal Government Hospital, FG Colony, Hassan Garhi, Shami Road, Peshawar, to facilitate travelers proceeding abroad, particularly pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj and Umrah.
An inauguration ceremony was held at the hospital and was attended by Provincial Minister for Health Khaliq-ur-Rehman, In-charge Civil Surgeon Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr. Mian Fareed-ud-Din, Director General Border Health Services Pakistan Dr. Syed Ghulam Murtaza Shah Bukhari, and other senior officials.
The participants were informed that the newly established center would provide vaccination facilities to Hajj and Umrah pilgrims as well as people traveling to Saudi Arabia and other countries for employment and other purposes. Vaccines against influenza, meningitis, polio and other travel-related diseases will be made available at the center.
Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Minister for Health Khaliq-ur-Rehman said that, with the efforts of the provincial government, an International Traveler Vaccination Center had been established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the first time.
He said that the center would provide vaccination facilities to pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj and Umrah as well as other travelers heading to Saudi Arabia. The required vaccination certificates would also be issued to travelers from the center.
The Provincial Health Minister further stated that the vaccination certificate would become mandatory for travelers to Saudi Arabia from October 15, and passengers would not be able to travel without the required certificate.
He added that the facility had been launched in accordance with the directives of the National Health Services authorities, with the objective of facilitating international travelers and ensuring compliance with the health requirements of destination countries.
