Polio teams reach brick kilns, slums for vaccination

Medical camps offering free testing and vaccinations for measles, malaria, hepatitis

RAWALPINDI: Polio vaccinators are going to brick kilns and slums on the outskirts of Rawalpindi to administer oral polio vaccines to children.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Dr Rashid Mehmood Khan said that anti-polio drive will focus on children who had missed vaccinations in the earlier campaign.

Dr Rashid said a week-long National Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI) which began in Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and Rawalpindi Cantonment areas from April 20 is underway in full swing.

At least 10 medical camps were being set up in Union Councils 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 37 of the city and Ward 1 to 4 in cantonment areas which have been declared high risk areas, Deputy District Health Officer Dr Zeeshan said.

He said that one camp was setup at UC 37 on April 20 while the second camp had been set up in Dhoke Hassu, UC 6 on April 23.

He added that free of cost tests for measles, pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis-B, tuberculosis, malaria, diabetes were being carried out at the camps. Different vaccinations were also being administered to children of two years of age besides those who missed it during the last two years.            Dr Zeeshan informed that eight more camps would be set up in the remaining union councils till the conclusion of the drive. Dr Rashid said that medical consultation, examination, vaccination and treatment were also being provided at the camps.

The Punjab government was actively following EPI, a disease prevention programme to reduce illness, disability and mortality rate to achieve 100 per cent results set for the health sector under the millennium development goal (MDG), he added. He said a healthy child was essential for a healthy society and this message should be conveyed in every nook and corner of the district.

With additional input by APP 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2019.