Daily Times

Deputy Commissioner Larkana Dr Sharjeel Noor Channa presided over a meeting of the District EPI & Polio Eradication Committee, here at his office on Monday. The previous polio round was discussed in the meeting, while the strategy for the next polio round starts on February 26, was also formulated. While addressing the meeting, the DC said that polio is a crippling disease from which every child up to 5 years of age must be administered OPV against polio. All arrangements should be completed for its elimination campaign so that no child is left behind to administer oral polio drops during the polio campaign, he added. He urged the officers of the Health Department, elected representatives, NGOs, teachers, scouts, students and social workers to play their role in administering the anti-polio drops to children, aged 5 years, during the anti-polio campaign, from February 26,2024 up to March 03, 2024. He directed the officers of the district health department to make all-out efforts to eradicate Polio from the District. The DC has given strict instructions to the officials of the health department to make the 7-day polio eradication campaign in Larkana district, a success and said that no child should be deprived of vaccinations during the polio campaign. The officials of the Health Department Larkana gave a briefing to the DC about the preparations made in connection with the polio campaign. He directed the officials to ensure that children under 05 years of age are vaccinated against polio. He also said that the polio teams must go to the areas where the rainwater is still standing; special arrangements should be made for this. He said that wherever there are rain/flood-affected areas, children should be given polio drops in any case. He further said that during the campaign, police and rangers should be deployed at the transit points and the children travelling with their parents in public transport vehicles or cars should be stopped and vaccinated against polio so that no child is left behind and the target should be completed in any case. Dr. Sharjeel Noor Channa said that polio teams should be constituted at the Union council and union committee level and committees should be formed to monitor them. He said that the target set for polio vaccination should be completed in any case. He said that polio is a crippling disease, for which a campaign has been going on for many years. The Sindh government is paying special attention to the polio campaign, he said. While giving instructions said that Assistant Commissioners of the District should be active during the campaign, he said. Earlier, the District Health Officer (DHO) Larkana told the meeting that in the Larkana district to maintain it an estimated number of 306,850 children, aged up to 5 years, must be covered. The DHO also informed that in all the four talukas of the district 4 zones were established and 904 teams have been formed along with 82 fixed immunization centers in the district to vaccinate the kids. He hoped that the target mentioned would be achieved. He further said that 51 transit polio teams have also been constituted in the district that would be available at Railway Stations, bus stops and various markets of the district during the anti-polio drive. The meeting was also attended by the ADC-I Larkana, ADC-II Larkana Assistant Commissioner Larkana, the Medical Superintendent of CMC Hospital Larkana, a Representative of UNICEF, a Representative of WHO, NGOs, Revenue Officers, Education Officers and other concerned officials of various departments.