Check-post established for polio eradication in Punjab

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that Punjab government has started implementing on a new strategy for polio eradication under which children travelling from KPK to Punjab through trains and by road would be administered polio drops so that children who deprived from vaccination in KPK could be vaccinated against polio virus.

 He said this, while inaugurating anti-polio campaign in the trains coming from Peshawar to Rawalpindi at Railway Station Attock, on Friday.

On this occasion, DG Health Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, DCO Attock Muhammad Iqbal, EDO Health Dr. Musarat, Director Health EPI Dr. Munir Ahmed, representatives of WHO, UNICEF, Melinda Gates Foundation and Rotary International were also present.

Kh. Salman Rafique said that mobile teams of Punjab Health Department would administer polio drops to the children in all trains coming from Peshawar to Rawalpindi. He said that the basic objective of this campaign is to participate in anti-polio campaign with a national spirit for the eradication of polio from the country.

Later, Kh. Salman Rafique also inaugurated container check-post for polio vaccination at G.T Road, Khairabad Bridge at Attock. These containers are provided by the Rotary International for setting up polio check-posts.

While speaking to the media-men, Kh. Salman Rafique said that such check posts would be established at all the entering points of the Punjab from other provinces. He said that the containers have been installed at near police check-posts so that buses and other vehicles could be stopped with the cooperation of police officials.

He said that during the checking of these buses and vehicles by police, the polio teams will administer polio drops to the children travelling in these buses. He also appealed to the public that they should extend cooperation with the Health Department’s polio teams and the administration to prevent their children from permanent disability and for the eradication of polio virus from the country.

Kh. Salman Rafique also inaugurated another permanent Container polio check-post established by Rotary International near Pir Wadhaye Bus Terminal for administering polio drops to the children. Kh. Salman Rafique expressed the hope that these steps taken by the Punjab government would help in eradication of polio disease.