RAWALPINDI: A week-long anti-polio campaign started in the district with a target to vaccinate over one million children up to five years of age.

Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha along with Regional Police Officer Syed Khurram Ali and Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema inaugurated the campaign by administering drops to children.

Speaking on the occasion, the commissioner said on the first day a target of 250,000 children had been set. He directed the officials to cover refusal and non-attended cases the same day. He said no case of polio had been reported in Rawalpindi since 2010 due to the coordinated efforts of all government departments. He said the national polio eradication campaign was being launched in 36 districts of Punjab, including Rawalpindi.

The campaign will continue for seven days in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and for five days in the rest of the districts.

Target to vaccinate one million children has been set for the drive, say officials

Mr Chatha directed that vaccination should be done at the entry and exit points of the districts. He added that multiple doses of vaccine provided best protection against the virus, so parents should welcome polio teams until the disease is eradicated.

District Health Authority Chief Executive OfficerDr Ijaz Ahmed, DHO Dr Ehsan Ghani and representatives of concerned departments were also present there.

Sharing details of the arrangements for the campaign, the health officials said 1.15 million children were set as the target of giving polio drops.

As many as 245 UC medical officials and 866 area incharges have been appointed for the campaign. Apart from this, 3703 mobile teams, 330 fixed and 166 transit points have been established. Health officials will be monitoring the progress on the campaign while security arrangements have been made for the polio workers.

Attock

An anti-polio campaign was also launched in Attock district which will continue till December 2.

Deputy Commissioner Rao Atif Raza inaugurated the drive by administering drops to a child at the District Headquarters Hospital. District Health Authority CEO Dr Asad Ismail, District Health Officer Dr Kashif Hussain, Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr Jawad Ellahi and other officials of the health department were also present.

Briefing newsmen about the drive, the DC said 3,13,959 children will be vaccinated against polio. He said 2203 teams will serve in six tehsils of the district during the campaign. These teams include 2035 mobile, 129 fixed, 40 transit teams while 90 medical officers and 398 area incharges have been deployed in 75 union councils who will supervise the teams.

He added that with the aim to achieve the vaccination target, mobile teams and static teams had been constituted. Mobile teams will go door to door to administer drops while static teams will be available at all the health centres and entry and exit points of the district and at bus stands and railway stations.

Mr Raza urged parents to cooperate with the polio vaccination teams to get rid of the crippling disease.

— (Amjad Iqbal contributed to this story from Taxila).

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2023