CS asks govt departments to play effective role

ABBOTTABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz on Tuesday urged the government departments to play an effective role in eradicating polio from the province.

He said this while chairing a review meeting of ongoing polio campaign of the Abbottabad district held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office. Among others, who attended the meeting, were Hazara Division Commissioner, Syed Zaheerul Islam, the Regional Police Officer, Mazharul Haq Kakakhel, Deputy Commissioner Amir Afaq, officials of the district administration and the Health Department. The chief secretary reviewed the outcome of the first day performance of ongoing five-day polio campaign. He expressed displeasure over the failure in achieving the targets of the ongoing polio campaign as well as absence of coordination among departments and effective communication strategy to reach and educate parents in the Abbottabad district.

“We should be worried about the present state of polio and exert ourselves with missionary zeal and tireless endeavours for controlling the deadly disease as it is earning a bad name for the province and country”, he added. The chief secretary warned that the officials would be taken to task for any poor performance on their part in the execution of the polio campaigns. He directed the authorities concerned to chalk out a comprehensive and integrated polio strategy.

“The public representatives, religious scholars, political workers and other opinion leaders should be involved in addressing the refusal cases by persuading the parents to get their children administered polio drops,” he stressed. Taking notice of the unachieved targets, he asked the authorities to fully review and examine the issues that they faced during the campaign and take concrete steps for resolving them.

He directed that a comprehensive and integrated strategy must also be devised and implemented in letter and spirit for effectively disseminating the polio messages to the masses in general and parents in particular.

Taking notice of the fake marking on fingers of the children by their parents for deceiving polio teams and avoiding polio vaccination, he directed to all concerned to take thorough check for detecting such undesirable practice in the interest of the children. The chief secretary directed the district administration and Health Department to launch anti-dengue campaign next month. Meanwhile, the chief secretary visited the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad. He expressed dissatisfaction at the poor condition of the facilities.