OUR STAFF REPORTER
MANDI BAHAUDDIN
The health officials and workers have been directed to ensure the administration of anti-polio drops to every child under the age of five years in the district.
Addressing an inaugural ceremony along with EDO Health Doctor Khalid Pervaiz Khawja, DOC Afzaal Warriach said polio is a dangerous decease that paralyzes limbs and causes permanent damage to some nerves. The illnesses seriously affect breathing in some people and may even lead to death. He said it attacks children under five years of age. Therefore it is great responsibility of parents to get their children immunised.
In this respect, he reiterated that media, prayers leaders, teachers of all education institutions and civil society to play significant role in creating awareness among the parents about the danger of the decease and importance of vaccination to save the children.
Earlier, the EDO told the ceremony that elaborate arrangements had been made to administer polio drops; 625 anti polio teams had been formed that would operate in the entire district. The team leaders had been instructed to administer anti-polio drops to children of five years and below, he further said. The teams would visit brick kilns, bus stops, and railway stations and ensure that no child is left unvaccinated. He informed the ceremony that this district with the grace of God and with the efforts of health workers is already polio free.
OPEN MANHOLES PUT LIFE AT RISK: The Tehsil Municipal Administration is neglecting the maintenance of manholes in the entire city as the lids of several manholes have completely broken or partly damaged.
The TMA has not taken any initiative to repair them. The citizens complained that the manholes with broken lids had no sign boards put around them for cautioning pedestrians and motorists and as such they are great danger for the citizens particularly during nights and foggy weather. Although shopkeepers from vicinity have placed some bricks around the open manholes to warn pedestrians and motorists yet they have caused several mishaps. They urged the TMA to repair the manholes and their lids for ensuring safety of the road users.
Power, gas woes continues unabated: Unscheduled power and gas loadshedding continues which have increased problems of the inhabitants in the prevailing severe cold and foggy weather.
Electricity supply most of the time remains suspended and when restored it remains hardly for half an hour at the maximum. This hide and seek of power has become a routine feature. On complaint, reply is given that some turbines at Mangla had developed defect and present situation of power loadshedding would continue till the turbines are repaired. Similar is the situation with gas. Supply of gas remains stopped most of the time. In the evening and morning times when it is available its pressure is very low. On the other side, tariff bills delivered to consumers are inflated and do not correspond to the quantity of power and gas consumed by citizens. People have urged concerned authorities to take notice of increasing load shedding of power and gas and restore supply of these facilities as promised in the elections.