LAHORE – The Punjab Emergency Operations Centre has issued heat-related illness guidelines for workers engaged in upcoming polio eradication campaign starting from June 03.
In directions issued to the District Health Authorities on Thursday, Punjab EOC Coordinator Khizer Afzaal emphasized on prioritizing the health and safety of “our workers while ensuring the effective delivery of polio vaccines”. He stressed on adjusting the working hours to cooler parts of the day, such as early mornings and late afternoons. He instructed the authorities to ensure that all workers have access to an ample supply of drinking water and frequent hydration breaks.
The EOC coordinator advised workers to wear light, loose-fitting, and light-colored 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. He called for educating teams about the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as dizziness, nausea, headache, and excessive sweating.
He stressed 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, he noted, adding that monitoring of the cold chain closely during the campaign was mandatory. He 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 shortlisted for the 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. While in other districts the campaign will last five days.
