Vaccination campaign in Pindi next week

Punjab chief minister approves name change for RIC

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi District Health Authority (DHA) has decided to launch a fresh, five-day vaccination drive in the city from next week with the aim of administrating polio drops to around a million children who are up to ten-years-old.

Some 226 medical officers, 545 area in-charge, 2,503 mobile teams, 295 fix points and 18 transit teams are expected to be deployed during the drive.

In a meeting on Wednesday to review anti-polio measures, headed by Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muhammad Ali Randhawa, it was decided that infants and young children should be vaccinated at any cost to make them immune against the disease.

He further said that all sources will be utilized to make Rawalpindi polio-free.

Randhawa directed all DHA officials and assistant commissioners (ACs) of the city to attend the daily review meeting which will be held at the end of each day during the polio drive.

The meeting was told that in the previous focused campaign, some 78,397 children were vaccinated by 63 teams while 29,258 children were administered polio drops in seven high-risk union councils during March 25 to April 1.

Moreover, a quality assessment of the microdrive was also completed.

RIC gets name change

The Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) is expected to be re-named as the Pakistan Cardiac and Vascular Institute (PCVI). Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has granted approval for the move.

Earlier, during his visit to the city, CM Buzdar had inspected facilities at the RIC.

During the visit, RIC Executive Director Dr Azhar Mehmood Kayani told him that apart from treating heart diseases, the hospital also had all essential facilities to tackle arterial and venous diseases which were helpful in preventing the body from paralyzing in case of suffering from brain stroke. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2019.