RAWALPINDI:A nine-day long immunization campaign kicked off in the entire district on Monday to administer the vaccinations, under the Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI), to children under the age of two years.
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Health Authority Dr Faiza Kanwal said that around 229 outreach teams, 86 area in-charge officers, 315 medical officers, as well as allied and tehsil headquarters hospitals were participating in the campaign to take preventive measures and effectively fight chronic diseases like Polio, Measles, Pertussis, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Hepatitis-B and Tuberculosis.
She further said that vaccinations were also being given at 86 fixed centres.
The CEO said that injections were also being administered to those who missed it during the last two to three years, adding that Tetanus Toxoid (TT) injections were administered to pregnant women.
“Children 18 months to five years are also being immunized with the DTP vaccine”, she said.
The Punjab government, she said, was actively following EPI, a disease prevention programme to reduce illness, disability and mortality rate to achieve 100 percent results set for the health sector.
Meanwhile, In-charge immunization drive Chaudary Muhammad Hussain told reporter that Punjab, Primary & Secondary Healthcare Secretary Ali Jan visited the District Headquarters and Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi to check the performance of immunization teams and expressed satisfaction over the arrangements for the campaign.
Hussain further said that the Secretary, during his visit to city hospitals, also checked the attendance of staff, and took stock of essential medicines, adding that he also visited the emergency, the pharmacy, and the OPD blocks and directed the medical superintendents of both the hospitals to provide the best facilities to the people.