Polio drive extended for a day

Heavy rain has slowed down polio campaign

RAWALPINDI: The five-day anti-polio campaign to administer polio drops to 8,40,000 children below five years of age in the entire district has been extended for one more day due to heavy rain.

The campaign started in the district Monday would now end on February 17.

Today, the vaccinators started administering polio drops but had to stop because of heavy rain and snowfall in Tehsil Murree and informed the district administration that they could not continue the campaign any further.

Upon this, the District Administration Government informed the Punjab Health department about the situation. The health department officials asked the district administration to extend it for a day. Now, the campaign will end on February 17 instead of 16.

In charge anti-polio drive Husain Ahmed told APP "We have so far administered polio drops to 10,000 children who were available at schools while the remaining set target would be achieved as the weather condition changes".

While briefing about arrangements, he said that during the campaign 2739polio teams including 2333 mobile teams,287 fixed points,119 transit points,221Union council medical officers and 496 areas in charges would complete the task of vaccination.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2018.