MINGORA/KHAR: Over 470,000 children under five years of age will be vaccinated during the four-day anti-polio campaign starting from Monday (today) across the Swat district.

Briefing about the preparations for the campaign, Swat EPI coordinator Dr Liaqat Ali told a meeting on Sunday that 1,519 teams accompanied by 1,519 police personnel would participate in the drive.

“Our teams will cover all the union councils, including the snow-bound areas, and in case of any inconvenience due to snowfall, those areas will be covered soon after weather becomes clear,” he said.

Deputy commissioner Saqib Raza, who chaired the meeting, directed all the relevant officers to work with passion and responsibility to make the drive a success.

“All the relevant departments and concerned officers will have to perform this national duty with zeal, and no laxity or mismanagement will be tolerated,” he said and cautioned that strict disciplinary action would be taken against the vaccinators found negligent in duty.

Meanwhile, over 232,000 children will be vaccinated against the crippling disease during a three-day anti-polio campaign starting Bajaur tribal district from Monday (today).

The local administration on Sunday warned the health officials of strict disciplinary action if they showed laxity during the drive.

The warning was issued by deputy commissioner Usman Mehsud while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the anti-polio drive.

He said the administration was concerned over frequent detection of polio cases in the district. He said detection of three polio cases in the district over the last three months was a matter of serious disappointment for the administration.

The deputy commissioner said he was not satisfied with the performance of the health department and other government and non-government organisations engaged in the anti-polio activities because they had failed to rid the district of polio.

Mr Mehsud said the district administration had also decided to take action against the parents who were found refusing anti-polio drops to their children.

He directed the relevant officials to note the names of such parents and inform the administration for further action

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2019