HYDERABAD - The district administration Hyderabad has set target of administering anti-polio drops to 3,32,263 children up to five-year of age during three-day long polio eradication campaign to start from January 21, 2019 in all four talukas of Hyderabad district.

While presiding over a meeting here on Friday to review the arrangements of launching massive campaign, the Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad has called upon the officers of all assigned departments to make closed coordination among each other during three-day long campaign and maintain Hyderabad a polio-free district with hundred percent coverage of vaccination against polio.

Since January 2012, the DC informed that Hyderabad was enjoying the status of polio-free district which he termed as a great achievement of all stakeholders, however, he said that more efforts were required to motivate the parents to vaccinate their children against polio.

He called upon Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry to extend full cooperation to the efforts of the district administration upon which the HCCI representative who also attended the meeting assured full support to the cause.

The DC also directed the officers of PPHI to improve the performance adding that strict action will be taken against those assigned officers and employees who found negligent in the duty. He however assured that commendation certificate will be awarded to those who discharge their responsibilities with dedication and devotion.

The deputy commissioner also asked the district police to ensure adequate security for protection of vaccination teams and also deploy policemen at the transit points on permanent basis in order to vaccinate the children at entrance to the district.

He also directed the officers concerned to launch massive campaign against stray dogs so that the assigned staff for polio eradication could not suffer any inconvenience or fear while performing national duty.

The meeting was informed that one thousand mobile vaccination teams, 117 fixed teams and 23 transit teams having 890 lady health workers will carry out vaccination against polio in all 54 union councils of the district during three day long campaign and their performance will be monitored by 11 taluka supervisors with 83 medical officers of the union councils.

Larkana Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Noman Siddiq Friday urged all the stakeholders to play their role in administering anti-polio drops to children aged up to five years during the four-day anti-polio campaign from January 21 to 24.

He said this while presiding over a meeting of district EPI and Polio Eradication Committee at his office here on Friday.  He urged the health department officials to ensure visit of mobile teams to remote and katcha areas and see that no child from among the targeted age group is left out and deprived of anti polio drops.

Deputy Commissioner Larkana assured that all teams would be provided with transport facility and needed assistance to maintain cold chain.

He said the collective efforts were required for the campaign’s success adding that all the line-departments must also cooperate with the health department.

The strict action will be taken against the officials for their negligence in polio campaign, he said. He said that there is a need for awareness of the public through print and electronic media.

He further said that the District Administration and Health department Larkana are working as a team to achieve desirable results. He appreciated the efforts of DHO Larkana for taking concrete steps in this regard.

The DC appealed the people to play their role in making the campaign successful.

He directed the Taluka Health Officers to submit their micro plans prepared for the national polio campaign to control rooms set-up at DC’s Office and DHO office.

Earlier, District Health Officer Dr Abdul Rehman Baloch said that in Larkana to maintain it all estimated number of 306,850 children, aged upto five years, must be covered.

DHO Larkana also informed that in all the four talukas of Larkana district 4 zones were established and 812 teams have been formed along with 82 fixed immunization centres in the district to vaccinate the kids.

He further said that transit polio teams have also been constituted in the district that would be available at railway station, bus stops and various markets of the district. During the meeting, he pointed out the requirement and problems during the anti-polio campaign. Representatives of police department assured to provide vehicles and security facilities to the mobile teams in the district.