RAWALPINDI: For the anti-polio campaign in the district from April 13, the local administration has asked the District Health Authority to make comprehensive plan to immunise more than a million children less than five years of age.

In this regard, a meeting of the District Emergency and Response Committee and the District Polio Eradication Committee was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema in his office.

The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Headquarters Abdul Rehman, the district health officer, WHO coordinator and officers of other concerned departments. A briefing was given to the participants on the pre-campaign activities regarding the anti-polio campaign to be held from April 13 to 16.

The deputy commissioner directed that all preparations should be completed on time to make the campaign 100 per cent successful and ensure access to vaccines to every child. A review of the anti-dengue measures was also taken. The officials gave a briefing on indoor and outdoor vector surveillance, sweeping activities and other arrangements.

Arrangements for anti-polio drive from April 13 reviewed at meeting

The deputy commissioner issued instructions for strict monitoring of service stations and tyre shops across the city and said it was imperative to adopt an effective and integrated strategy to eradicate dengue.

He also directed that students of educational institutions be included as volunteers in the dengue awareness campaign, adding these volunteers should be provided with special jackets so that they can go to the streets and create awareness among the public.

Moreover, parents visiting schools should be informed about dengue prevention. He directed all deputy district health officers to contact elected public representatives in their respective areas and keep them informed about the dengue awareness campaign and ongoing activities, so as to ensure full participation at the community level.

The deputy commissioner emphasised that this year’s campaign should be more effective, integrated and prominent than previous years, the results of which should reach the public with clear and positive results. He said that a practical and effective strategy should be adopted whose effects would be visible at the ground level and which would provide a safe and healthy environment to the citizens.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner, along with PML-N MNA Tahira Aurangzeb, visited Benazir Bhutto Hospital where they inspected the emergency unit and various wards and reviewed the medical facilities provided to the patients.

The hospital administration was directed to ensure prompt and quality medical assistance to the patients coming in emergency while paying special attention to cleanliness, availability of medicines and staff attendance.

Later, they also visited the Iftar Dastarkhawan established under the Punjab government’s public welfare program Nigahban Iftar Programme. On this occasion, they reviewed the arrangements for Iftar, the quality of food and the facilities provided to the citizens.

The officials concerned were directed to provide facilities to all the deserving people coming to the Iftar programme.

The MNA said that the government was committed to providing relief to the masses through welfare projects and the deserving people were directly benefiting from such measures during Ramazan.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2026