Anti-polio drive goes on in Lakki Marwat despite heavy rain

LAKKI MARWAT: Despite torrential rains for the last two days, hundreds of vaccinators, mostly female workers of the health department, carried out door-to-door activity on the third and fourth day to immunise children against the deadly crippling disease on their doorsteps in all parts of the district.

The new spell of heavy rains, which started on Tuesday night, continued on Wednesday and Thursday with intervals, flooding water courses and inundating rural and urban roads and streets and lanes in the residential areas.

Mud tracks in the rural localities turned into pools of water, troubling local residents and the male and female polio workers in particular.

The district health department has set a target of 186,739 kids below the age of five years to be vaccinated during the 10-day long anti-polio drive commenced on August 15. Around 163016 children ageing between four months to five years will also get the dose of IPV (inactivated polio vaccine).

Local deputy commissioner Fazal Akbar also spent the day in the field to monitor the performance of polio workers. He said that he was impressed to see female workers vaccinating children in flooded streets in the rural areas of the district.

He said that his administration officials, health authorities, vaccinators and all those engaged in the polio eradication initiative were fully committed to eliminating the menace from the district.

He appreciated polio workers, especially female vaccinators, for carrying out their prime obligation of kids’ vaccination despite heavy rains.