RAWALPINDI: District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajid Zafar Dal on Friday asked the health department to establish transit camps at entry points of the district for the upcoming anti-polio campaign.

“All the children coming from Khyber Pukhtunkhawa will be administered polio drops before they enter the district,” he stated this while addressing the meeting held in his office to review the anti-polio campaign arrangement.

Besides officials of the district health department, local representatives World Health Organization (WHO) were present on the occasion.

The polio virus has been found in the sewerage of Rawalpindi for third consecutive months in September and the fear of expected polio case ran through WHO and health department.

WHO expressed apprehension over the presence of polio virus in the sewerage of the city areas and asked the district administration to do more to save more than 700,000 innocent children in the district.

The DCO also directed all the city district government departments to nominate staff by Sunday for anti-polio campaign.

There are six entry points to the district: Pirwadhai Bus Terminal, Soan Bus Terminal, Railway Station, Murree, Taxila and Attock.

The teams will be deployed at these areas to administer the anti-polio vaccination to the children round the clock in two shifts.

He asked the Revenue Officials to monitor the transit camps at entry points of the district and send him daily report in this regard.

Additional District Collector Revenue said that no negligence would be tolerated in five days polio campaign from any official of public department.

“The absent officials will be suspended and proceeded against according to the rules of the government. Polio free status for Rawalpindi district must be maintained,” he said.

EDO (Health) Dr Zafar Iqbal Gondal informed the meeting that a total 1,365 polio teams have been constituted.

He said that polio teams at airport, sus stands, and other similar public places would also be deputed to administer polio vaccine to the children up to five year’s age.

He said that teams had also been constituted to monitor the polio campaign on daily basis to make this campaign a success.

District Health Officer Dr Khalid Randhawa informed the meeting that the campaign in these areas would be launched to provide additional dose of polio vaccination to the children to eliminate the chance of their being missed.

He said if the people coming from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were not administered anti-polio drops they might bring the virus to the district.