Record poliovirus found in sewage samples
The number of dengue-positive patients has reached a record 3,368. As dengue cases continue to rise, the recent detection of poliovirus in the environmental samples of 12 union councils of the city and cantonment areas has added to Pindi's health hazards.
The anti-polio campaign seems to have proved ineffective just like the claims of the anti-dengue campaign have fallen short. The District Health Authority (DHA) has decided to start an anti-polio campaign week from October 28. Given that the number of polio samples taken from sewage lines in the city is record-breaking, the Punjab government has also sought protected sewerage schemes from the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA).
The presence of polio virus has been confirmed from the sewage of six union councils of Rawalpindi including Union Councils 13, 16, 23, 34, 44 and Union Council 45. The virus has also been detected in the sewage of Gujar Khan city as well as other areas.
Additionally, the presence of poliovirus in such a large number of environmental samples has further strengthened the perception of the fault lying with non-vaccination of children accompanying families from out-of-town. For the past several months, despite the entire focus of the DHA solely being on the anti-dengue campaign, dengue remains rampant, and hospitals are overflowing with patients. This also goes to show that the DHA's anti-polio campaign was unsuccessful.
DHA Chief Executive Dr Asif Arbab Niazi announced that the polio virus has been confirmed in environmental samples, following which the anti-polio team has planned to implement a systematic method to address the issue from October 28. As part of this, a new vaccination campaign will be initiated, targeting which children are coming with their families from other cities. Polio vaccination will be administered to them at the entry points of Rawalpindi city.
At the same time, WASA has also been instructed to share its protected sewage schemes with the Punjab government for approval, and then begin work on implementing them in the target areas.
RDA intensifies action
The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has intensified its efforts to combat dengue fever by sealing 601 under-construction buildings for violating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). According to a spokesperson, this operation is part of a broader initiative to control dengue outbreaks in the area.
During a recent meeting chaired by former Member National Assembly Haji Pervaiz and anti-dengue campaign coordinator Tayyab Qureshi, the importance of strict compliance with the Punjab government's anti-dengue SOPs was emphasised. Haji Pervaiz stressed that full implementation of these measures is essential and warned that any negligence will not be tolerated.
Assistant Director and Dengue Focal Person Muhammad Dawood provided a detailed briefing on the ongoing anti-dengue efforts, noting that under the leadership of Director General Kinza Murtaza, stringent enforcement of SOPs is being pursued.