PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS
A polio vaccination campaign will kick off in south Punjab districts on Monday.
There has been a significant decrease in the number of polio cases reported from the Punjab, Multan DCO Zahid Saleem Gondal said. The number of poliomyelitis cases reported throughout the country in 2014 was 305. This year, 49 cases have been reported in the country. One case has been reported in the Punjab so far. “We need to bring this figure down to zero,” Gondal said.
The campaign in Multan district will continue till December 18. The DCO inaugurated the five-day polio campaign on Sunday at the Civil Hospital. Several Health Department officials participated in the event.
Gondal said it was troubling that Pakistan remained one of the three countries where poliomyelitis was endemic. Even though the number of reported patients has gone down, health officials must be on their guard to stave off the crippling disease, he said.
“The one polio case in the Punjab was reported from Chakwal district.”
He directed immunisation teams to be vigilant in ensuring door-to-door vaccination. “We will soon realise the dream of a polio-free Pakistan.”
Addressing the ceremony, Health Executive District Officer Iftikhar Qureshi said 794,472 children would be administered polio vaccines in the five-day campaign. He said that 1,930 teams had been constituted to meet the target. The polio teams would be monitored by 320 area in-charge officials and 131 zonal supervisors. The EDO urged citizens to call on the numbers 061-9239984 or 061-9200375 to inquire about polio teams, the vaccination schedule or to register complaints if any.
Gondal appreciated the efforts of the Civil Hospital administration and gave Medical Superintendent Raza Mohiyyudin a certificate of achievement, honouring his contribution to health services in the district. The DCO also appreciated the hospital’s PCR Laboratory where patients can be tested for hepatitis.
The anti-polio campaign in Bahawalpur district will continue for three days. Health Executive District Officer Shahid Khaleeq said they had a target of vaccinating 587,830 children under the age of five years.
He said 1,298 teams had been constituted for this purpose. Out of these teams, 1,032 mobile teams will go door-to-door while 147 teams would set up camps at Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Civil Hospital, THQs, BHUs and rural health centres. Khaleeq said 106 mobile teams would administer polio vaccine at general bus stops, wagon stands, the railway station and toll plazas while 15 teams would perform their duties at markets in the .
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2015.
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