Polio kiosks set up at airports

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rotary, one of the largest voluntary service organizations of the world, has a visible presence at the various airports of Pakistan as it has facilitated in setting up polio kiosks at departure as well as arrival lounges. 

The National Chair of Pakistan National Polio Plus Committee (PNPPC), Aziz Memon, also a former Governor of Rotary International in Pakistan, informed PNFS that the polio kiosks have been set up at all major airports of the country to cover the children in transit, as per directives of the government. 

According to details, the PNPPC was requested by national and provincial authorities to provide polio kiosks at all visible points of airports. Because of its location, the polio kiosks are easily visible and accessible. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) was then advised to arrange for the polio vaccinators at each kiosk. These polio kiosks are installed at outside of departure and arrival lounges of the airports. 

The PNPPC has set up as many as polio kiosks at the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, as per specification provided by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). These polio kiosks have been installed just outside of domestic and International departure and arrival lounges. 

There are three polio teams at each kiosks working round the clock at the airport and the average vaccination coverage is close to 350 children per day. 

Besides Karachi, the PNPPC has set up two polio kiosks each at Multan, Peshawar and Quetta airports to cover transit children.