CS warns against negligence in anti-polio drive

Directs officers to pay special attention to campaign starting from April 22

LAHORE: Chief Secretary Punjab Yousaf Naseem Khokhar has directed the deputy commissioners to step up efforts to eradicate polio in the province and no negligence will be tolerated in this regard.

He was addressing a meeting of the Provincial Taskforce on Polio Eradication at Civil Secretariat on Friday.

The chief secretary asked the deputy commissioners to spearhead the activities being undertaken to combat polio in their districts and hold review meetings on a regular basis. He said that concerted and joint efforts are needed for complete eradication of polio from the country.

He directed the officers to pay special attention to the anti-polio campaign starting from April 22, besides removing hurdles in the way of achieving 100% coverage.

He ordered that dependence on volunteers should be minimised to ensure quality in the drive. He also issued instructions to departments to extend full cooperation to health departments for the anti-polio campaign.

The chief secretary said that people's cooperation is of key importance in efforts to fight polio and all relevant departments should play an active role in creating public awareness about this crippling disease. He added there was a need to work with national spirit to eradicate polio once and for all.

Provincial Coordinator for Polio Eradication Salman Ghani told the meeting that total six polio cases, including one in Punjab's Lahore district, have been reported in Pakistan in 2019.

The meeting was attended by administrative secretaries of different departments including specialised healthcare, primary healthcare, local government and community development, housing and officers concerned whereas deputy commissioners joined the meeting through video link.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid directed officials that human resource model and micro plan should be revised in the districts that are vulnerable to the poliovirus. She said that lady health works can play a vital role in efforts to eradicate polio as they work at the community level. She added that in order to overcome the shortage of human resource 13,000 lady health workers would be recruited.

On Friday, Dr Yasmin who attended a special meeting of lady health supervisors at Town Hall as the guest of honour on Friday, said that 1.8 million children to be vaccinated during the upcoming anti-polio drive, starting from April 22.

Deputy Commissioner Lahore Saleha Saeed, CO Agha Toheed and a large number of lady health supervisors attended the event.

The minister said that the role of lady health workers in the anti-polio campaign was crucial. She said that the Health Department officials should make the drive success through proper monitoring.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2019.