LAKKI MARWAT: The district polio eradication committee has expressed concern over the increasing number of refusal cases and decided to engage prayer leaders and religious scholars to cover such cases.

`We will engage religious scholars and prayer leaders since residents of the district give importance to what they preach, said a health official while speaking at a meeting of the committee here on Monday.

He said that cooperation of religious scholars could help ensure coverage of refusal cases in several urban and rural union councils of Lakki Marwat.

The meeting was chaired by deputy commissioner Syed Zafar Ali Shah. A plan was chalked out to ensure security of polio teams and get access to children who missed the previous vaccination campaign. District khateeb Maulana Abdul Wahab was tasked with holding meetings with prayer leaders and prominent religious scholars to seek their help for making the upcoming antipolio drive a success.

The three-day campaign is expected to begin on Jan 20 for which the district health department has constituted 462 teams to immunise 150,110 children below five years of age.

The health official told the meeting that 395 teams would launch door to door campaign while 44 teams would administer oral polio vaccine to children at the heath facilities across the district.

The official said that 23 transit teams would be deployed at busiest public places and on the borders with other districts and tribal areas to vaccinate children travelling in public transport or entering the district with their parents.

Additional assistant commissioner Yaser Qayyum, DDHO Dr Abdul Rehman,DDEO Khalid Wahab, district health communication officer Dr Irfan and other concerned officials attended the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, deputy commissioner Zafar Ali Shah aid that the immunisation of targeted children could be achieved by ensuring effective monitoring of polio teams and overcoming field problems.

PRIZE DISTRIBUTION: A prize distribution ceremony was held at government middle school, Nar Utamgarh (Muslimabad) on the conclusion of the annual tournament among middle schools here on Monday.

Deputy district education officer Khalid Wahab was chief guest on the occasion.

ADO sports Nisar Mohammad Ghaznikhel, school headmaster Gul Zaman, PET association president Haji Naimatullah Khan, elders and parents were in the attendance.

Students exhibited skills in PT show and also presented tableaus.

Speaking at the meeting, local elders demanded of the provincial government to construct two additional classrooms in the school and provide it with furniture and other basic facilities. They also demanded upgradation of the school.

DDEO Khalid Wahab distributed trophies and cash prizes to the students who demonstrated outstanding performances in the annual tournament. Students of different grades who topped examinations also got certificates and prizes.

Physical education teacher Haji Ameer Jan of government middle school, Nar Utamgarh received trophy for winning all major game events of the tournament.

Mr Wahab assured that problems faced by teachers and students of the school would be resolved on priority basis.

He called upon the students to work hard to achieve top positions in annual examinations.