Three-day National Polio Eradication campaign begins in AJK

Altaf Hameed Rao
MIRPUR (AJK): The nation-wide Polio Eradication campaign began across Azad Jammu & Kashmir on Monday – Sept. 18, with administration of the anti-polio vaccine drops to children under five years of age across the AJK including Mirpur division, official sources said.
AJK health authorities have set a target to immunize a total of 716191 children under 5-year of age with the anti-polio vaccine throughout the area during the campaign to save the children from the disease of polio, a State Health Department spokesman told this Correspondent hereon Monday. Elaborating the salient features of the three days anti polio campaign in AJK for immunization of children up to five years of age across AJK, the spokesperson said that over 2004 mobile para-medical staff teams have been constituted and whereas 397 fixed units and 124 transit points at prominent public places including buses and wagons stands were set up in all ten districts of Azad Jammu Kashmir including Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Hattiyan (Jhelum valley ), Neelam valley, Kotli, Bagh, Sudhanoti, Haveili, Bhimbher and Rawalakot to administer the anti-polio vaccine drops during the three-day drive in entire Azad Jammu Kashmir.
The spokesperson said that AJK Health Department has made adequate arrangements to provide at least seven lakh anti-polio vaccine doses for the entire three-day drive across AJK.
At least 63 zonal supervisors will look after the campaign conducted by 481 in charges of different areas in AJK. Besides, the parents will also got their children fed with the anti-polio vaccine drops at the fixed centers close to their homes including hospitals and district and tehsil health offices
The fixed centers have been set up at the hospitals, basic health units, rural health centers as well as various other spots to vaccinate the children with the anti-polio drops from8.00 a.m to 4.00 p.m. The total staff involved in the drive including mobile teams comprising over 4500 workers, will visit door to door to immunize the children of and under 5 years of age during the nation-wide campaign throughout Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
The spokesperson underlined that there had been said no case of polio disease to any child was detected in Azad Jammu & Kashmir during last 16 years