BUNER: A three-day anti-polio campaign would be launched in the district from Monday to vaccinate 152,917
children up to five years of age.
This was stated by EDO Health Dr Maqsood Ahmad, while addressing a ceremony held
here on Saturday. District Nazim Haji Rauf Khan, who was also present on the occasion, administered polio drops to some children.
Officials of various social organisations and line departments, social, religious figures and media men also attended
the ceremony held in the lawns of Zila Council Hall at Dr Qadeer Khan Colony, Daggar.
Dr Maqsood Ahmad, in his welcome
address, appreciated support of stakeholders especially district nazim, media, Khateebs for making previous polio campaigns
successful and hoped they would extend similar support to the upcoming anti-polio drive.
The EPI coordinator Dr Lal
Bacha briefed the participants of the arrangements for the drive adding 360 mobile, 20 transit and 38 fixed teams had been
formed to administer polio drops to targeted population.
He informed that 8 members of district health team, 7 campaign
support persons monitored by representatives of WHO and Unicef would ensure success of the drive.
Our Lakki Marwat
correspondent adds: Doctors and paramedics' associations of the district withdrew their decision of boycotting the Monday's
anti-polio drive after holding successful talks with the local health officials on Saturday.
A joint action committee
consisting of members from both the bodies earlier in a meeting held on January 13 had decided that doctors and paramedics
would boycott the forthcoming campaign as a mark of protest against the kidnapping of a physician.
It is to be mentioned
here that a surgeon of Lakki city hospital Dr Falak Naz who had been kidnapped over a month ago could not be recovered so
far. The failure on part of the local administration and police in securing the safe recovery of a kidnapped physician sparked
protests.
EDO Health Dr Mohammad Iqbal, MS Lakki DHQ hospital Dr Mohammad Ishaq, DDO health Dr Abdul Rehman held talks
with the office holders of Pakistan Doctors and Paramedics Association in which they assured the association members to take
up the issue of physician abduction with the quarters concerned.
Meanwhile, MS DHQ hospital Dr Mohammad Ishaq administered
polio drops to several children in the hospital during a ceremony held on Saturday. WHO's representatives surveillance
officer Dr Adnan and district support person Dr Rafiullah and officials of the heath department attended the event.
Speakers
said the health department alone could not achieve the goal of eradicating the menace of polio disease without the support
and assistance of masses particularly parents.
They said that due to successful efforts on part of the health department
workers and community participation in polio eradication campaigns no polio case had been detected in the district during
the last several years.
