LAKKI MARWAT - A meeting presided over by Assistant Commissioner Abdul Shakoor Dawar at District Secretariat Tajazai on Thursday discussed matters pertaining to arrangements for anti-polio drive, strategy for coverage of refusal cases and security of polio teams.
DHO Dr Abdul Ghaffar Wazir, EPI Coordinator Dr Hafeezullah, officials of WHO and Unicef, and heads of line departments attended the meeting. The district health officer informed the meeting that 461 teams had been constituted to vaccinate 149,934 children under the age of five against polio in the three-day campaign commencing from Dec 18. He said that 394 teams would launch door-to-door campaign while 44 teams would remain present at the health facilities to immunise kids against the crippling disease.
Wazir said that 23 transit teams would be deputed at busy public places, bus stands and on the borders with other districts and tribal areas so as to administer oral polio vaccine to the children travelling with their parents in private and public transport vehicles. He requested the local administration officials to ensure foolproof security of health workers and volunteers involved in the activity.
Speaking at the meeting AC Abdul Shakoor said that local police and levy personnel would be deployed along polio teams in risky areas to avert any untoward incident. "Besides providing security to the polio workers the district administration will also ensure strict monitoring of the polio eradication campaign", he maintained.
Shakoor said that health workers and employees of other government departments engaged in anti-polio drive would face stern action for negligence and slackness on their part in performing the national duty. He directed the health officials to seek help from religious scholars, and prayers leaders and area elders to ensure cent per cent coverage of refusal cases.