Rawalpindi - A four-day anti-polio drive was launched in the district on Wednesday to administer the polio vaccination to 716,154 children. The campaign was inaugurated by District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Khalid Mehmood at the health department office with health officials while administering anti-polio drops to the local children in Khyaban-e-Sir Syed. Dr Khalid Mehmood directed health officials to make the drive successful as it was the duty of the government to secure all the children from the crippling disease of polio.

He said that the action should be taken against those who refuse to administer polio drops to their children. “We wanted to make the country a polio free country and in this regard, no hurdle will be tolerated,” he said. He emphasized that the officials should carry out their duties efficiently during this campaign and in case of any deviation of these instructions, stern disciplinary action would be taken against them. He said that provincial government would ensure the security of the anti-polio drive teams in the district. “For the refusal cases, the health department and the administration will involve local politicians and influential persons so that the issue will be solved,” he said. The health officials briefed that no case of polio has appeared in Punjab so far, due to coordinated efforts of various departments during the last anti polio campaign whereas cases of polio had been reported in other provinces of the country.

He said that a universal line has been established to lodge complains, in case the mobile team misses out any area. He said that for this purpose, 1400 officials and 1800 mobile teams have been constituted while 270 static centres for vaccination would be made.