F.P Report
LAKKI MARWAT: The district administration has successfully convinced the residents of to two rural localities on immunisation of children against polio. The residents of NaliChak and ShakhQuli Khan had boycotted the polio eradication campaign auguring that their areas are hit hard by excessive electricity outages and authorities concerned are not interested to end power suspension. They complained that authorities of power supply company did not fulfill promises to reduce duration of power load shedding.
The health department has constituted 763 mobile, 51 fixed, 33 transit and 11 roaming teams to administer oral polio vaccine to over 194370 kids under the age of five during five day anti polio drive which started from March 9 (Monday)”, said an official. He said that over 205 Area In charge Officers have been tasked to monitor the campaign and field assignments of vaccinators. The official said that a total of 10 confirm polio cases were reported from LakkiMarwat during current year while 32 cases were recorded previous year in the district. “The district administration with support of partners’ organisations and other stakeholders is fully concentrated on containing the crippling disease and make district polio free”, he claimed.
Many people in rural areas of the district use vaccination of kids as a tool to get their problems resolved and demands accepted by concerned government functionaries. The demand based refusal cases are a constant threat to the local administration’s strenuous efforts aiming to wipe out the epidemic causing lifelong paralyse to children. The deputy commissioner himself and his administration officials including additional DC, AC and additional ACs remain engaged in field activities during polio eradication campaigns to ensure coverage of refusal cases and hold meetings with elders and clerics and reluctant parents to persuade them on immunisation of children against polio.
Taking serious notice of people’s boycott from kids’ vaccination in NaliChak and ShakhQuli Khan, local deputy commissioner Abdul Haseeb tasked Naurang additional assistant commissioner Aminullah Khan to visit rural areas and hold meetings with elders and villagers. Aminullah successfully convinced rural residents on immunisation of kids against the crippling disease. He asked the elders and villagers not to link resolution of their problems with vaccination of children. He highlighted hazardous effects of disease on children’s health and told villagers that two drops of anti polio vaccine in each round could save kids from lifelong paralyse. After successful talks the villagers allowed vaccinators to administer oral polio vaccine to children. They also assured the administration official that they would cooperate with polio teams so that the fatal disease could be eliminated from the district completely.
