LAHORE: Amid intense heatwave persisting all over the province, Punjab Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has issued guidelines to frontline polio workers engaged in upcoming polio eradication campaign starting from June 3 regarding protection against heat-related illnesses.
Punjab EOC Coordinator Khizer Afzaal in his directions issued to the district health management authorities on Thursday emphasized on prioritizing the health and safety of “our workers while ensuring the effective delivery of polio vaccines”.
Afzaal stressed on adjusting the working hours to cooler parts of the day, such as early mornings and late afternoons. He instructed the districts authorities to ensure that all workers have access to an ample supply of drinking water and frequent hydration breaks.
In his directions, the EOC coordinator advised workers to wear light, loose-fitting, and light-coloured clothing and cover the head, protecting it from direct sunlight. He also stressed on scheduling regular rest breaks in shaded areas to allow workers to cool down and recover.
The EOC coordinator called for educating teams about the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as dizziness, nausea, headache, and excessive sweating.
Afzaal highlighted the need to pay special attention to maintain cold chain for vaccines. The DHAs need to ensure the availability of frozen ice packs or ice, especially in areas affected by power outages, the EOC head noted, adding that monitoring of the cold chain closely during the campaign was mandatory, the EOC head also emphasized on encouraging community cooperation to facilitate smooth and efficient vaccination processes.
The polio eradication campaign is setting off amid increased transmission of polio virus all over the country and the onset of high transmission season which continues from June till September.
Six districts have been included in the campaign including Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Mianwali and Okara. The districts have been short-listed for the polio eradication campaign based on the evidence of polio virus circulation and high-risk mobile population movement.
More than 6.4 million children will be vaccinated in the campaign which will continue for seven days in mega districts including Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024