ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: The capital administration has set a target to administer anti-polio dose to over 85,000 children in Islamabad during its three-day drive that kicks off from Monday.

Arrangements for the drive were reviewed in a meeting presided over by Deputy Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmad on Sunday, says an official announcement.

The meeting was attended by the district health officer and officials of all rural health centres, basic health units and supervisors of mobile heath teams.

The number of polio patients has increased in the country in the last two years despite claims of the health authorities and United Nations that Pakistan will soon become a polio-free country.

The deputy commissioner directed the health department of the local administration to use all available resources to make the drive successful in the rural area and ensure that 100 per cent target of administering police dose would be met.

The meeting was informed by the DHO that arrangements had been made for 100 per cent coverage of the children against the crippling disease in the rural areas of Islamabad.

He said a total of 85,454 children would be immunised against polio in the rural area of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

The meeting was informed that 218 mobile teams had been activated in the rural area which would visit door-to-door in the far-flung areas to administer anti-polio drops to children below the age of five.

Moreover 12 union councils of Islamabad have been divided into seven zones and zonal supervisors and health officers of 41 areas have been assigned the special task to achieve the target of immunisation against polio.

Besides, 30 static centres and nine transit points have also been established in the rural areas of Islamabad. Health teams would daily submit the progress and achievement report to Chief Commissioner Islamabad Kamran Lashari and the deputy commissioner.

Meanwhile, the chief commissioner and deputy commissioner have directed the district health authorities and the mobile teams to ensure that the campaign against polio is successful.

Islamabads Local Government and Rural Development Department was directed to extend full cooperation to the mobile teams for the vaccination of children.