Special anti-polio campaigns to be launched

LAHORE:On the direction of Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, the meeting of the provincial taskforce for the eradication of polio was held at CM’s Office on Monday.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Murad Raas, Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan, chief secretary, administrative secretaries and representatives of WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Divisional Commissioners, DCs and CEOs (Health) participated through a video link.

The meeting held a detailed review of anti-polio steps and the future roadmap. Murad Raas and Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan presented proposals to make the anti-polio campaign a success. Chief Secretary Maj (R) Azam Suleman also issued instructions to the administration in this regard.

The meeting decided to continue anti-polio efforts along with effective monitoring of anti-polio and vaccination campaign in the districts. The Deputy Commissioners will constitute special teams for the monitoring of anti-polio and vaccination campaign. Notable personalities will also take part in this campaign.

The meeting decided to include elected representatives, bedsides giving preference to local persons in anti-polio vaccination teams. It was also decided to launch three special anti-polio campaigns in Punjab from December to April. The importance of the anti-polio campaign will be highlighted in the Juma sermons.

Addressing the meeting, the chief secretary said that elimination of polio disease is a national obligation as children are our collective future. Participation of the local community in the anti-polio campaign will bear positive results, he said, adding that audit of achievements of anti-polio campaign targets would be held. He made it clear that lip-service would not work and directed the officials to compile data according to ground realities and disclosed that this data would be analysed after the culmination of the campaign.

The chief secretary directed that DC and DPO should jointly hold meetings in their district and complete security should be provided to the anti-polio teams. The Commissioners should personally monitor anti-polio measures taken in their divisions, he added. He said that district administration and the teams achieving targets in anti-polio and vaccination campaign would be encouraged. There is no room for any leniency in this regard, he added. The DCs will be responsible for anti-polio steps in their districts and they should give the required results in this regard. He directed that the students enrolled in private schools should be administered anti-polio drops. The children coming to Punjab from other provinces should also be administered anti-polio drops and a vigorous awareness campaign should be launched, he added.

Secretary Primary & Secondary Health informed the meeting that more than 113,000 workers will take part in the anti-polio campaign in Punjab and added that no one has the right to deny administration of anti-polio drops to the children. Special attention is being paid to high-risk union councils, he added.