PM’s adviser inaugurates refurbished model BHU

PESHAWAR: Special Advisor to Prime Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Dr Faisal Sultan, on Sunday inaugurated a model Basic Health Unit (BHU) here at Shaheen Muslim Town as he went to super high-risk union councils during his day-long visit to the provincial capital and launched the November round of anti-polio drive.

Earlier, he was briefed about the Integrated Health Service Delivery strategy by the focal person.

The advisor went to the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) at the Maulvi Ameer Shah Hospital where he was informed about the role and functions of unit that specifically focuses on addressing operational and communication challenges in the 18 union councils that falls in Shaheen Muslim Town.

It is one of the 13 environmental collection sites of the province that tells about circulation of the virus in the environment.

Dr Faisal Sultan administered polio drops to the children in the Civil Secretariat to inaugurate the November round of the anti-polio campaign.

Later, addressing a press briefing at the Finance Department of the Civil Secretariat he has said efforts were being made to equip health facilities with the latest services.

Health Minister KP, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Special Assistant to CM on Information, Kamran Bangash, Special Assistant to CM on Excise & Taxation, Ghazan Jamal, MPA Ayesha Bano, Special Secretary Health Dr Farooq, Coordinator National EOC, Dr Rana Safdar, Additional Secretary Health (polio) & Coordinator EOC, Abdul Basit, National Technical Focal Person, Dr Altaf Bosan, Director Expanded Programme on Immunization Dr Saleem, National Team Lead UNICEF Hamesh Young and representatives of technical partners, including UNICEF, WHO and Bills and Melinda Gates Foundation were present on the occasion.

Talking to the media after the briefing about the polio eradication programme, current interventions, remaining challenges by Coordinator provincial EOC Abdul Basit, Dr Faisal Sultan said Prime Minister Imran Khan had issued clear directives for ensuring a uniform health system across the country and to specifically focus on poor and marginalized areas that were lacking in basic health facilities.

The special adviser reiterated the commitment for polio eradication, saying all possible efforts were being made to stop the virus circulation and to wipe out the disease from the region.

“With the number of measures taken at the provincial level to address the remaining gaps and challenges in polio eradication, I am positive we will soon eliminate the menace from this last endemic region”, he added.

He thanked the media for responsible reporting on the Health and polio that has been of vital help to the government in motivating communities about the significance of immunization including polio vaccination.