04 July 2004	Sunday	15 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, July 3: : Government has announced 50 per cent extra pay for the doctors and the paramedical staff working in the emergencies of hospital, said Rahat Qudusi, Adviser to the Chief Commissioner Punjab on political Affairs here on Saturday.

He was presiding over the National Consultation on Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI) to chalk out federal and provincial EPI branding plans for the year 2004-05, jointly organized by United Nations International Children and Educational Fund (UNICEF) and Ministry of Health.

During the consultation it was recommended to use transit media (buses, wagons, chingchi, rickshaws) bill boards and signboards in hospitals to create awareness in the minds of parents and children care takers.

An campaign will be launched with the parliamentarians and policy makers to achieve the ultimate objective of branding EPI to raise immunization concept.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Rahat said that Rs one billion had been allocated for providing free medicines and

surgical treatment to emergency patients.

He maintained that to improve the level of basic health units, Punjab government has amalgamated three basic health units in one district health unit to improve the quality of health services.

He informed that special package of 30,000 had been announced for the doctor appointed in the district health unit with a grant of 0.1 million and a vehicle for the easy mobility to check the progress of health units.

Experts from all over the country consulted to raise awareness and coverage of routine immunization against seven disease including TB, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles and hepatitis B.

Vitamin A drops will also be given to children from the age of six months to five years along with vaccination for the seven diseases, they said.

Health experts pointed out that recent survey reports revealed that some parents assume that after so many doses of the polio drops, there was no need of having the vaccines of other six diseases.

This is not correct, experts clarified adding, the fact was that the children needed full course of the vaccination within one year after birth for the seven diseases.

"Polio vaccine protects the child against polio alone. Children need to get immunization for all the seven disease," they said.

The consultation was also focused on use of different communication channels for creating awareness and motivation to have the children vaccinated against seven disease along with the polio drops being given many times during every year.-APP