RAWALPINDI: The district health department has failed to register internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vaccinate children coming from North Waziristan Agency (NWA) against the polio virus.

A five-day anti-polio campaign was launched from June 24 to June 28 in 16 union councils (UCs) in and around Rawalpindi, with the aim to immunise IDPs coming into the city. However, vaccinators reported that no families were found in the district.

A senior health official told Dawn that the health department was informed about a family from NWA which arrived at Fauji Colony last week. However, when health department and World Health Organisation (WHO) officials visited the colony, they found that there were no children with the family.

He added that there were reports of families arriving at Dhama Syedan on Adiala Road and Tench Bhatta, and that the health department would send teams to meet them.

Also read: Displacement brings polio vaccination boon

He said the District Revenue Department was contacted by the health department to inquire about families arriving from the tribal areas.

“The department is tracing the whereabouts of IDPs in Rawalpindi, but there are problems due to the lack of coordination among the local administration and law enforcement agencies,” he said.

Conversely, Executive District Officer Health Dr Zafar Iqbal Gondal told Dawn that the health department had vaccinated 18 children from NWA so far.

“These families arrived at Ghari Sikandar, Taxila, bordering Attock district,” he said.

Gondal admitted that there were reports of families arriving at Dhama Syedan, Adiala Road, and Cantonment Ward No. 5.

“We plan to launch a campaign in high-risk UCs from July 7 to vaccinate IDPs,” he said.

Gondal said more than 1,000 teams had been formed to launch the campaign in 26 UCs, and special teams will be deployed at district entry points and bus terminals.

He added that the provincial health department was worried about anti-polio campaigns in the province.

“If a child or family brings the polio virus from their native area, it will spread in the province, especially in Rawalpindi division, which borders Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP),” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd , 2014