RAWALPINDI: The district health department has diverted dengue surveillance teams in 15 urban union councils of the Potohar town to the anti-polio campaign.

Talking to Dawn, a senior health official said now only two of the total 192 teams will perform dengue duty in Shakrial South and Shakrial North union councils.

As many as 384 newly recruited workers were carrying out anti-dengue campaign in 15 urban union councils of the Potohar Town adjacent to Benazir Bhutto International Airport and Soan River but after the health department`s directive they will administer polio drops to the children of under-five.

It is interesting to note that the Potohar Town has 36 union councils but the antidengue drive was launched in only 15 urban union councils on the perception that the rural areas are relatively safer as far as dengue mosquito is concerned.

The health department official said during the last two weeks, 30 dengue patients from Potohar Town`s urban union councils of Rehmatabad, Chaklala, Kotha Kallan and Gangal and three from Chaklala area had landed in Pindi hospitals.-Aamir Yasin