Multan: A five-day anti-polio drive kicked off in Multan on Monday. Multan Deputy Commissioner Mudassir Riyaz inaugurated the campaign by administering polio drops to children under five years of age at Shahbaz Sharif Hospital. While addressing the inaugural ceremony, DC Multan said that 426,661 children will be vaccinated against poliomyelitis in the five-day campaign. He further said that a strict action would be taken against those parents who will deny giving anti-polio vaccination to their children. “This is the duty of parents to ensure that their children are vaccinated against polio,” said DC. He told the audience that Government of Punjab has provided latest anti-polio vaccination which is completely innocuous to human health. For the successful completion of anti-polio campaign, more than 1100 field teams and 906 mobile teams have been constituted. Field teams will go door to door in various areas of Multan and mobile teams would be appointed at the level of union councils. DC said that for the ease of public, anti-polio camps would be set up on various locations including bus stands, railway stations and at various other public places. Mr. Riyaz maintained that a special monitoring system has been constituted for the monitoring of polio teams so that not a single child will be left out. He requested the public to cooperate fully with the polio teams. “Respect these polio workers especially females who go door to door for the health of your children, cooperate with these workers who are fighting for a greater national cause”, said DC. Chief Executive Officer Health Dera Ghazi Khan Muhammad Munawwar Abbas, told in the briefing session that anti-polio drive will start at 6 in the morning and will go till late in the evening. He said that anti-polio campaign will end on 10th of August. Focal person for anti-dengue campaign Dr Atta-ur-Rahman was also present on this occasion. Published in Daily Times, August 7th 2018.