Immunisation: Three day anti-polio drive kicks off today

ISLAMABAD: A three-day anti-polio campaign will start on Tuesday in different parts of the country including the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Officials of the Islamabad Health Department said that elaborate arrangements have been made for administering anti-polio drops to 100,805 children during the upcoming anti-polio drive in the rural areas of Islamabad for which the rural area has been divided into 11 zones.

They said 255 mobile teams including 11 zonal supervisors and 47 area in-charges will administer polio drops. The zonal supervisors will monitor the performance of mobile teams in each zone and a daily report will be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad.

Officials of the Health department said that all the attached departments of ICT including the Revenue Department, Local Government, Rural Development and a staff of 12 from union councils will also assist the mobile teams with manpower and logistic support.

In Rawalpindi district, almost 704,814 children below five years of age will be administered polio drops.

Officials said that out of 1,660 teams, 1,321 would be mobile teams going door to door, while 256 teams will be deputed at healthcare facilities across the area.

83 teams will be placed at police posts while six roaming teams in each of the three teaching hospitals will administer anti-polio vaccine in those hospitals.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2010.