SIALKOT: People traveling overseas have demanded more points to issue polio vaccination certificates in Sialkot.

Presently, the health department has established two points in the Sialkot city – one at the office of the executive district officer (EDO) of health (behind the Jinnah Stadium) and the other at the office of the district health officer (DHO) at China Chowk.

People from Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils come to these points where long queues of polio certificate seekers greet them.

Muhammad Javed from Daska said that he planned to go to Germany. He said that it was painful to get the certificate at the DHO office after traveling 35 kilomteres from Daska.

Sakeena Bibi, 47, of Pasrur, traveled 72 km to get the polio vaccination certificate in such hot and humid weather. She said that getting the polio vaccination certificate was more difficult than getting visa to Europe or America. Bashir Iqbal came from Sambrial, 25 km from Sailkot, for this purpose.The people urged the government to make some extra points to help the people. They said the government should establish such points at tehsils.

DHO Dr Javaid Warraich said his office handled 400 people every day seeking polio vaccination certificates.

He added that the department needed more than 30,000 polio doses per month while the provincial government had provided just 12,000 dozes to them.

He said the government had yet to provide extra staff for this purpose.

Prices

The sizzling, muggy weather has badly affected the crops of seasonal vegetables in the Sialkot region due to which there is a shortage of the vegetables. Traders, vendors and retailers have increased the rates of the vegetables, which have become unbearable for the common people.In the local open markets, vendors are selling tomato at Rs45 per kilogramme (kg), ginger Rs360 and potato Rs55.

Though Sialkot district officials are visiting the local fruits and vegetables markets to check the auctions of fruits and vegetables there, their visits have not provided relief to the people.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2014