Districts asked to ensure adequate security for polio workers.

RAWALPINDI -- Punjab Emergency Operation Centre Coordinator and head of the polio programme Khizer Afzaal Chaudhry has asked all districts to ensure provision of adequate security to anti-polio teams in the upcoming campaign starting on May 15.

He was addressing a meeting held to review the status of preparedness for the campaign. District health management teams from 12 districts, including the chief executive officers, district health officers and partner staff, participated in the meeting via video link.

The coordinator stressed on wrapping up the orientation of polio teams on time.

'I urge the district health administrations to wrap up team training on time. It also needs to ensure that training quality is up to the mark,' he said.

On the risk of virus importation from endemic zones, he asked the districts make adequate arrangements of vaccination of children at the transit points. He also urged them to make sure that all transitory and mobile populations who had entered Punjab to earn livelihoods are integrated into the micro-plans.

'Although Punjab is free of poliovirus, it is at the risk of imported virus recirculation. Therefore, the districts need to map and vaccinate every child belonging to the high-risk mobile populations,' he added.

He urged the Rajanpur district to reach out to the deputy commissioner to ensure provision of security to polio teams. 'On the security situation in the riverine areas of Rojhan in the wake of police action against...