Rawalpindi-A 3-day anti-polio campaign commenced across the district on Monday.
Senior officials of district government and police including Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Ali Randhawa, Regional Police Officer Capt (R) Ehsan Tufail and City Police Officer Capt (R) Faisal Rana jointly kicked off anti-polio campaign by administering polio drops to children in different parts of the district.
In order to counter the propaganda against anti-polio vaccination, the DC has started polio campaign by vaccinating his own little son and shared the video on his social media account to urge the people to not believe in rumours and to cooperate with polio team.
As many as 7,30,000 children under five years of age will be vaccinated against polio virus in Rawalpindi district during three days campaign.
According to details, DC Chaudhary Ali Randhawa kicked off the 3-day anti-polio drive by administering polio drops to children including his own son in camp office. On the occasion, ADC (Headquarters) Saima Younis, Chief Executive Health Dr Arshad, DHO Dr Navid Akram, Chaudhry Hussain, Area Coordinator World Health Organisation Dr Sarwat Ali and officials of district health department were also present.
While speaking, the DC said that the government had made comprehensive security measures to protect polio teams. He said that the propaganda against anti-polio drive was baseless and concocted and people should not believe in it. “Polio drops are the only source to protect the children from poliovirus and the health department has not mixed any hazardous chemical in the drops,” commented the DC.
He said that an awareness campaign had also been launched to counter to propaganda against anti-polio drive. “The role of media and ulema in this regard is appreciable,” said Chaudhry Ali Randhawa.
In Rawalpindi district, the DC said that more than 1,300 anti-polio teams would visit door to door to give polio drops to children under age of five years.
He instructed the officials of health department to submit progress report with his office on daily basis. “The officials of health department and polio teams should also impart their duties with commitment and dedication,” he said.
He also asked the anti polio teams to concentrate on the children travelling in bus terminals and on railways stations so that Pakistan could be make a polio free country.
Meanwhile, RPO Capt (R) Ehsan Tufail along with DC Chaudhry Ali Randhawa also kicked off polio campaign by administering polio drops to children at Basic Health Unit, Kotha Kallan.
RPO, while addressing, said police have beefed up security to shield polio teams across the district. He urged the parents to not put ears on baseless and unnecessary propaganda against polio campaign and should administer polio drops to their children.
In Rehmatabad and Kotli Sattian, CPO Capt (R) Faisal Rana started anti polio campaign by putting polio drops into mouth of children. The CPO said that the district government and law enforcement agencies were out on a mission to eradicate menace of polio from Pakistan.
He said that police would provide foolproof security cover to polio teams patrolling in district to administer the children with polio drops.