Polio vaccination to kick off in nine ‘high-risk’ UCs today

Karachi
Around 39 medical camps to provide free health services and immunisation services for adults and children will begin working in nine underdeveloped and sensitive union councils of the city on Saturday, said Director Health Karachi Dr Zafar Aijaz while talking to The News.
The main objective of setting up these medical camps is to immunise children against polio by the Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV), being introduced for the first time in the country. While the Oral Polio Vaccine requires repeated doses, the IPV can provide immunisation against the crippling disease after a single injection.
Establishment of such medical camps had been planned last year in the 11 ‘high-risk’ union councils but was put off due to unavailability of adequate security for the health staff.
Dr Zafar Aijaz told The New that all arrangements had been finalised for setting up 39 free medical camps in nine union councils and they will begin working from Saturday.
He said the camps will be set up in union councils 4, 5 and 8 of Gadap Town, union council 2 of Baldia Town, union council 9 of SITE Town, union councils 7 and 13 of Orangi Town, and union councils 1 and 2 of Landhi Town.
He said the main reason behind such a long delay in setting up these camps was the unavailability of adequate security. “However, after the Karachi Police and Rangers assured us of its provision, we decided to move ahead with implementation of the plan,” he said.
“For the first time in Pakistan, the Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV) will be administered to children under five at these medical camps. At the same time, gynaecologists, paediatricians and general physicians will also be available to treat people.”
Aijaz said 283 teams had been formed in addition to specialists and consultants who will be available round the clock at these camps where around 83,200 children younger than five are expected to receive polio shots.

Social mobilisation
Meanwhile, Dr Aijaz said the authorities had also decided to use social mobilisers for persuading families to come to the medical camps since door-to-door polio campaigns had become extremely risky for health workers.
“Our social mobilisers are already meeting with community elders and informing common people about establishment of these camps where they can get free medical treatment,” he said.
He hoped this strategy would work and a lot of people, especially those who didn’t want vaccinators and health workers coming to their homes, who could now visit these camps for availing free health facilities and getting their children vaccinated.
He said each union council will have one central camp where specialists, including gynaecologists, paediatricians, general physicians, ENT specialists and gastroenterologists will not only treat patients but also refer them to major public-sector hospitals in case prolonged medical treatment was required.
Security ensured
Talking about the security measures taken to protect the doctors and health workers working at these camps, Dr Aijaz said several meetings with officials of the Sindh Police and Rangers were held in the presence of Karachi commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui and other stakeholders.
“The plan was earlier postponed because adequate security could not be made. However, this time the law-enforcement authorities assured us of their cooperation and provision of foolproof security,” he said.
However, when asked, Dr Aijaz said he was not aware of the exact number of personnel deployed for security duty. He then added that the DIGs and SSPs of the areas concerned had been assigned the task of assigning police personnel in their respective areas, besides the deployment of Rangers personnel.