BAHAWALPUR: As many as 627 people refused to have their children vaccinated against typhoid during the campaign across the district.

The vaccination drive will conclude on June 26 (Saturday).

A press release issued by the District Health Authority (DHA) says the teams of health department motivated the parents to have their children vaccinated against typhoid. For this purpose, a committee comprising the assistant commissioner of the respective tehsil, a deputy district officer (health) and a representative of WHO has been formed for the social mobilisation of parents of the leftover children.

Health department’s focal person Dr Muhammad Zakir said 44,476 children had been vaccinated against typhoid in the district. Besides, he said, 18,382 and 26,094 children had been vaccinated in schools and various communities respectively.

During the campaign, 2,596 children were away from their houses when the health department’s teams visited there for vaccination. However, the focal person claimed that later 521 were covered.

Deputy Commissioner Irfan Ali Kathia reviewed the typhoid vaccination campaign while chairing a meeting of the health department’s officials here on Wednesday and directed the officials to cover the leftover children before the conclusion of the drive.

PROTEST: Several medical students on Wednesday took out a rally to protest against the Pakistan Medical Commission’s (PMC) decision to hold the National Licensing Examination (NLE).

The students and doctors assembled in front of the auditorium of the Quaid-i-Azam Medical College where they raised slogans against the PMC. The demonstrators held banners and placards rejecting the NLE and marched up to Circular Road where their representatives spoke and demanded abolition of the examination.

GANGS: The district police and CIA claim to have smashed two inter-district gangs and recovered 22 motorcycles from the possession of their six members including ringleaders Sohail Khan and Sajjad.

The recovered motorcycles were handed over to their owners at a ceremony by DPO Faisal Kamran.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2021