The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has completed all arrangements to launch the four-day anti-polio drive in the rural areas of Islamabad, from January 30 to February 2, 2012.
The District Health Department, Islamabad is all set to start the campaign. An ICT spokesman said that as many as 100,600 children would be administered anti-polio drops in the 12 union councils of Islamabad, for which 268 mobile teams have been constituted for house-to-house coverage.
Whereas, 36 fixed points and 11 transit points have also been set up in the rural areas. The mobile teams would carry out vaccination under the supervision of 50 in charges and supervisors.
The secretariat assistant commissioner, rural assistant commissioner, secretariat magistrate, rural magistrate and 12 medical officers of health facilities of each union council would conduct extensive visits of their assigned respective rural areas to check the performance of each team. Islamabad Traffic Police, officials of the District Revenue Department, Local Government and Rural Development and Agriculture Extension Department would also assist the mobile teams. Comprehensive logistic support and vehicles would be provided to the teams to cover remote areas.
The Health Department has also organised orientation sessions at the Rural Health Centres, where the lady health workers, supervisors and area in charges and members of teams were given training for successfully achieving their target.
Islamabad Chief Commissioner Tariq Mahmood Pirzada said that special arrangements were in place for the up-coming anti-polio drive and all available resources were being utilised to achieve the desired results.
He has directed the District Health Department, Islamabad to double their efforts for polio eradication and to reach all children with sufficient doses of vaccine. Deputy Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed has also reviewed the special arrangements made for the up-coming immunisation drive against polio and directed the officials to ensure the implementation of the immunisation plan without fail.
Meanwhile, World Health Organization Polio Eradication Officer Dr Amer Safdar also arranged a briefing at the office of the Islamabad Chief Commissioner for the assistant commissioners, magistrates and medical officers in which they were informed about the micro-level planning of the drive with special reference to 12 union councils of Islamabad, monitoring of teams, vaccination, social mobilisation, house-to-house campaign, finger marking, coverage of missing children and the logistic support for teams.
