Rawalpindi - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) District Health Authority Dr Faiza Kanwal on Sunday said a five-day anti-polio drive would start in the district from Monday (December 13).

She said 2,964 polio teams would go door-to-door during the campaign and administer polio drops to over 718,000 children less than five years of age in all tehsils and union councils of the district. 

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regarding COVID-19 would be implemented in letter and spirit to ensure safety during the drive while wearing masks, and the use of sanitizer would also be mandatory for polio teams, she told APP.

Dr Faiza said 396 areas in-charge, 204 medical officers, allied hospitals and tehsil headquarters hospitals would participate in the campaign. “307 fix centres have also been set up to administer drops,” she added. The CEO said all possible steps had been taken by the concerned to make the campaign a success. A sufficient quantity of vaccines is available, and no stone would be left unturned in our effort to make the campaign a success, she remarked. 

718,000 children will be administered anti-polio drops

She said objective of regularly conducting anti-polio campaigns was to keep children through protective drops and increase their immunity. Dr Faiza urged the citizens, particularly parents, to come forward and play their role in eliminating the crippling disease from society. “The parents should cooperate with special teams so that the set target could be achieved,” she added.

Meanwhile, over 1000 cops have been deployed in Rawalpindi district to ensure the security of anti-polio staff performing duties during a five-day anti-polio campaign.

According to a police spokesman, Rawalpindi District Police, on the special directives of City Police Officer (CPO), Athar Islamil had finalized all the security arrangements to provide foolproof security cover to the vaccinators.

He said over 1000 cops were deployed under a security plan devised for the anti-polio campaign being started from Monday. 

He added that a control room has also been set up to monitor the security arrangements.

The officers concerned had been directed to brief the cops to be deployed for the security duty besides a proper checking system for the field, he said adding, the police personnel had also been instructed to remain alert and adopt Standard Operating Procedures.