Action over fake polio data

LAHORE:A meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Polio Eradication on Monday decided to take stern action against the staff sending fake data.

Minister for Specialised Health Dr Javed Akram and Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman attended the meeting held here at the Civil Secretariat while Minister for Primary Health Dr Jamal Nasir participated through a video link. Dr Jamal Nasir said that five officials were suspended in Rawalpindi for submitting fake data regarding polio and an inquiry was being conducted against them.

Chief secretary said that the special campaign to administer polio vaccine to 22 million children in 36 districts of the province would be continued from November 27 to December 1. He said that eradication of polio was a national agenda, adding that all deputy commissioners must work on priority basis for complete eradication of polio. He directed that action be taken against the staff in the areas where polio drops could not be administered to the children. The chief secretary said that the child who misses the polio vaccine becomes a ‘problem child’ for the whole world. He said that all deputy commissioners should ensure reporting correct data, warning that fake data was not acceptable in any case. He directed that special steps be taken to cover the ‘missed children’. The meeting decided to call a special meeting to review the cases of missed children in Lahore. The health department officials briefed that five cases of polio were reported in Pakistan this year - three from Karachi and two from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. They said that all environmental samples of polio in Punjab are negative. The meeting also reviewed the situation of dengue in the province. The meeting was told that the number of dengue patients this year is still less than the previous years. The number of dengue patients is increasing in the month of November, which is unusual. The officials said that there has been an increase in dengue cases in Gujranwala in recent weeks. As the weather cools down, the number of dengue patients would decrease. The chief secretary directed that the administration of Gujranwala and other districts continued their work to control dengue.

Universities Innovation Expo

Caretaker Provincial Health Minister Prof Dr Javed Akram participated as a special guest in All Punjab Universities Innovation Expo organised by Punjab Higher Education Commission at Expo Centre.

Dr Javed Akram said that research should be promoted in the medical institutions of Punjab. Creating employment opportunities for children is the primary responsibility of the government. Children of Pakistan have a lot of potential to achieve success. For the development of Pakistan, we have to teach our children modern education as well as skills.