Polio drive resumes in Pindi after brief strike

The drive will continue until Monday, April 28.


Our Correspondent April 24, 2025
A health worker administers anti-polio drops to a child during the launch of the citywide vaccination campaign, marking another crucial step in the fight to protect future generations from the crippling disease. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS

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RAWALPINDI:

The seven-day anti-polio campaign in Rawalpindi district resumed as normal on Wednesday, following a one-day boycott by polio workers.

The district administration has now extended the campaign by one day, aiming to vaccinate a total of 1,057,000 children against polio.

The drive will continue until Monday, April 28.

Polio workers had gone on strike to protest against the privatisation of public hospitals and to press for other demands.

In response, the District Health Authority issued show-cause notices to the protesting staff.

However, the authority withdrew the notices on Tuesday, prompting all polio workers to return to duty.

According to the District Health Authority Chief Executive Dr Asif Arbab Niazi, the extension was granted to ensure that the target number of children is reached.

He confirmed that 212,000 children are being administered polio drops each day during the campaign.

To facilitate the effort, the District Healtah Authority has established fixed centres, transit points, and deployed door-to-door teams across the district to ensure comprehensive coverage.

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