Sehat ka Insaf: Immunisation workers reach quarter of a million homes
Health workers, volunteers administered vaccine to 0.5m children in 60 UCs of Peshawar.
Health workers, volunteers administered vaccine to 0.5m children in 60 UCs of Peshawar. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government administered vaccines for nine paediatric diseases to 0.5 million children in the second phase of the Sehat ka Insaf immunisation campaign on Sunday.
While talking to the media in Larama union council (UC), K-P Minister for Health Shaukat Yousafzai said with the cooperation of parents in 60 union councils of Peshawar, he felt they had set an international record of vaccinating nearly 0.5 million children in six hours.
He said 10,000 volunteers, including 5,000 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and lady health visitors, participated in the immunisation campaign which targeted 0.25 million houses in 60 union councils of Peshawar. He added that they planned to focus on 99 union councils in the next campaign.
The minister announced a basic health unit for UC 86 and said such centres would be established in every union council to provide health facilities at people’s doorsteps.
Yousafzai said the campaign will immunise children against nine diseases, including polio, adding health workers were also making people aware of dengue prevention measures. The minister also distributed health kits, with soap and towels, among inhabitants of Larama. “If teachers take part in this historical campaign it will become even more successful and we will thank them for it but we will not force them into it,” he said.
The minister thanked doctors, healthcare workers and volunteers who participated in the campaign and appealed to parents to support the government and save their children’s lives.
A health department official told The Express Tribune the campaign’s first phase targeted 430,000 children. He said around 2,000 parents had refused to administer vaccines to their children.
While talking to The Express Tribune, Sharif Khan, a resident of Larama, said his two children were immunised and was confused as he thought the children would be vaccinated against nine diseases, not just polio.
“I don’t know if the drops they received were for protection against all nine diseases,” he said. Another resident said the vaccination drive will be very helpful if it saves them from nine diseases.
In Pajaggi union council, the campaign was stopped for three hours due to lack of security personnel but resumed once the issue was resolved. A campaign official said there was some misunderstanding which led to a temporary halt in desired activities but it resumed in full swing later on and the targets were achieved.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2014.
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government administered vaccines for nine paediatric diseases to 0.5 million children in the second phase of the Sehat ka Insaf immunisation campaign on Sunday.
While talking to the media in Larama union council (UC), K-P Minister for Health Shaukat Yousafzai said with the cooperation of parents in 60 union councils of Peshawar, he felt they had set an international record of vaccinating nearly 0.5 million children in six hours.
He said 10,000 volunteers, including 5,000 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and lady health visitors, participated in the immunisation campaign which targeted 0.25 million houses in 60 union councils of Peshawar. He added that they planned to focus on 99 union councils in the next campaign.
The minister announced a basic health unit for UC 86 and said such centres would be established in every union council to provide health facilities at people’s doorsteps.
Yousafzai said the campaign will immunise children against nine diseases, including polio, adding health workers were also making people aware of dengue prevention measures. The minister also distributed health kits, with soap and towels, among inhabitants of Larama. “If teachers take part in this historical campaign it will become even more successful and we will thank them for it but we will not force them into it,” he said.
The minister thanked doctors, healthcare workers and volunteers who participated in the campaign and appealed to parents to support the government and save their children’s lives.
A health department official told The Express Tribune the campaign’s first phase targeted 430,000 children. He said around 2,000 parents had refused to administer vaccines to their children.
While talking to The Express Tribune, Sharif Khan, a resident of Larama, said his two children were immunised and was confused as he thought the children would be vaccinated against nine diseases, not just polio.
“I don’t know if the drops they received were for protection against all nine diseases,” he said. Another resident said the vaccination drive will be very helpful if it saves them from nine diseases.
In Pajaggi union council, the campaign was stopped for three hours due to lack of security personnel but resumed once the issue was resolved. A campaign official said there was some misunderstanding which led to a temporary halt in desired activities but it resumed in full swing later on and the targets were achieved.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2014.