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MIRPUR (AJK), Oct 13 (APP):The 4-day nation-wide polio eradication drive on Monday began across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) with adequate arrangements and great enthusiasm by the parents to immunize children under-5 years of age to save them from the crippling disease.
The anti-polio campaign will be continued till October 16 without any pause to immunize at least 7, 42, 500 children under 5 years of age, targeted to be administered the Polio vaccine in all 10 districts of the liberated territory, the AJK State Health Department sources told APP here.
The AJK State Health authorities said that in AJK’s metropolis – Muzaffarabad, over 1.32 lakh children up to five years of were targeted to be administered the Polio vaccines during the drive, to be exercised without any pause, the sources said.
At least four thousand mobile teams of para medical staff will be constituted to visit door to door to administer the polio vaccine drops during the campaign across AJK – where at least 450 fixed centers at local government hospitals and subordinate health facilities, will be established by the State Polio Eradication Committee of the AJK State Health Services Department with the coordination of the World Health Organization (WHO), the sources pointed out.
The total staff to be involved in the AJK-wide national drive included mobile teams comprising over 5000 workers for visiting door to door to immunize the children of and under 5 years of age with the polio vaccine drops during the campaign, the sources said.
The fixed centers had been set up at the state-run hospitals, basic health units, rural health centers as well as various other spots to vaccinate the children with the anti-polio drops, the sources elaborated.
At least 170 transit points had been set up for conducting the drive drive under the supervision of the concerned area in charges, they said.
The state health department’s Polio Eradication Committee has made adequate arrangement to executive the polio-eradication campaign in a befitting manner, the sources asserted adding that a total of 844 area in charge would supervise the drive at union council’s level across the state in 35 tehsils and besides a total of 245 Union Council.
A central polio control room had been set up in the office of the Provincial Program Manager EPI in AJK State’s metropolis Muzaffarabad to monitor the drive besides to receive any complaint, they said.
In lake district of Mirpur, at least 76,656 children under 5 years of age will be administered the polio vaccine.
District Health Officer (DHO), Dr. Fida Hussain told APP , that in the district, over 438 mobile teams of paramedics in all 28 zones would visit door to door besides serving at the 41 fixed centers and the 14 transit points to administer the polio vaccine drops to under~05 years children
Earlier while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 4-day campaign held at the drive inaugurated by the Deputy Commissioner Yasir Riaz Ch.
The DHO said that arrangements for the district wise nation-wide polio eradication drive had been given final touches.
He advised the parents to fully cooperate the mobile teams of paramedics by getting their children administered with the polio-vaccine by the mobile paramedical staff teams.
It may be added that the state health authorities have asserted that there had been no any case of polio disease detected in any part of Azad Jammu & Kashmir during last 25 years.