RAWALPINDI-A 5-day polio drive will commence in 3 tehsils of the district including areas of RMC and cantonments from February 18 to 25 as environmental water samples tested positive for polio virus for the last 8 months consecutively.
In-charge anti-polio drive District Health Authority Chaudary Hussain said that around 2,000 polio teams including 1,500 mobile teams, 217 fixed points, 90 transit points, 187 union council medical officers and 400 area in-charges would administer polio drops to above 740,000 children lesser than five years of age in Tehsil Rawalpindi, Taxila, GujarKhan, Rawalpindi city and Rawalpindi/Chaklala cantonments areas.
Hussain said that the Authority had completed anti-polio drive in the entire district on January 27 but environmental samples tested positive for polio virus continuously since May 2018, which compelled the Authority to start the campaign again.
He said that with the coordinated efforts of government and World Health Organisation, polio workers had been trained to accomplish the target set of vaccinating children below five years of age.
He urged the citizens, particularly the parents, to come forward and play their role for elimination of the crippling disease from the society. “The parents should cooperate with the special teams so that the set target could be achieved.”
He said that continuous efforts were being made to control the polio. Special teams have also been formed to cover areas from where complaints about unattended children have been received, he said.
The In-charge said that no polio case had been detected in Rawalpindi, adding that polio was a national issue and it was the responsibility of all to play an effective role to make the country Polio free.