LAHORE : The Punjab Polio Eradication Programme has issued complete details of human resource to be involved in the polio eradication campaign being held in seven districts of Punjab from June 17-21.
The polio programme incharge, Salman Ghani, said that over 26,500 workers and supervisors would deliver polio eradication vaccine in households and at transit as well as fixed points, including hospitals, bus and railway stations.
“Over 4.31 million children will be vaccinated in the three-day sub-national immunisation drive and two-day catch-up using 4.8 million oral polio vaccine dozes”, the incharge polio programme said.
“Considering the current epidemiology of virus as confirmed by the laboratory tests all over the country, Punjab has shortlisted seven districts where campaign will be held. They are: Lahore, Multan, DG Khan, Rawalpindi, Mianwali, Bhakkar and Sheikhupura”, said Salman Ghani.
“Campaign will be held partially in Rawalpindi, Mianwali, Bhakkar and Sheikhupura. While all parts of Lahore, Multan and DG Khan, notified as high-risk priority districts in fight against polio, have been included in the campaign,” he said.
He said that parents might contact helpline 080099000 in case polio teams failed to turn up at their houses on the given dates. Mr Ghani also mentioned social media accounts set up by the Punjab government and requested parents to register their complaints if any at the programme’s Facebook page EOCPunjab.
Ahead of the campaign, Punjab Polio Eradication Programme incharge Mr. Salman reassured parents that polio vaccine was safe, efficacious, and approved by the government’s drug regulatory authorities.
He re-emphasised the need for all children to be immunised during every round of immunisation campaign days. In 2018, no polio case was reported in Punjab. However, in 2019 three children have been paralysed for life in the provincial capital and all of them had not received even a single doze of oral polio vaccine.
This year 22 polio cases have been reported in Pakistan, including 16 from KP, one three each from Sindh and Punjab.
Globally, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are the three countries still having polio cases.
Our correspondent adds: Associate Professor of Medicine PGMI/AMC and Physician & Gastroenterologist of Lahore General Hospital Dr. Israr ul Haque Toor has called for creating awareness among the masses of all kinds of hepatitis and including A & E should take care of all types of the disease. He said that it is needed that contaminated water and sub-standard food should be avoided which becomes cause of hepatitis. Delivering a lecture to medical students, Dr. Israr said that pregnant women should be more careful in this regard and make no delay in diagnosing and treatment of hepatitis as it would not only affect themselves but the babies as well.
Pointing out the symptoms, Dr. Israr ul Haque Toor said that change of color of eyes and urine, complaint of vomit, low temperature and belly pain may occur in the shape of hepatitis. He said that drinking water should always be boiled and be cooled before taking. Dr. Israr ul Haque also suggested avoiding cut fruit and vegetables and also refraining from eating at unhygienic places. He said that pregnant women should take all their medical tests well in time and remain careful in view of hepatitis. He also said that patients of hepatitis should use their separate toothbrush, razor, towel, jewelry and nail cutter.
Dr. Israr ul Haque Toor said now apart from injections, treatment of hepatitis is also possible through tablets, however, in the treatment of hepatitis B medicines can be taken for the whole life. He said that preventive measures can save from the disease and there is no danger if proper treatment is made. He called upon the medical students to keep all aspects in the view in their professional lives and provide maximum counseling to the patients with regard to hepatitis disease.