Six Balochistan and Sindh EDOs sacked for poor performance

K-P and FATA health officials commended for innovative polio eradication plan.

ISLAMABAD: After a 61% increase in the number of polio cases in the country, six Executive District Officers Health (EDOs) from Balochistan and Sindh were removed and suspended from their services for under performing. This information was shared during the third meeting reviewing progress of the National Emergency Action Plan held at the Prime Minister's Secretariat on Wednesday.

The meeting was chaired by Federal Secretary Inter-Provincial Coordination Amjad Ali Khan and was attended by Members of National Assembly, secretaries of health of all provinces, and representatives of international partner agencies.

National Coordinator of Prime Minister's Polio Monitoring Cell stated that "Balochistan and Sindh were responsible for a major burden of cases." He added that the primary reason for sub-optimal performance was that the Union Council Polio Eradication Committees there remain non-functional.

Member of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication, MNA Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho emphasised the need to improve micro planning at the union council level for improving quality of campaigns. She stressed that third party evaluation be carried out by university students in a district or of universities in adjoining districts.

Begum Shehnaz Wazir Ali said that though K-P and FATA had taken major strides forward to improve performance, while Sindh and Balochistan needed to cover substantial ground. She expressed serious concerns over the sub-optimal performance in Sindh and called for urgent corrective measures.

The speakers informed participants that the FATA team had used innovative strategies like Polio Plus to reach out to the families and encourage them to immunise. The strategy entails providing families with a package of items including soaps, combs, mosquito nets and other essential items. The strategy is being successfully implemented in Tirah and would soon be employed in other parts of FATA as well, officials said.

The meeting was briefed that Balochistan continues to face challenges in accessing children as the teams constituted did not have female members who could gain access in to households easily.

As leadership of District co-ordination Officers (DCOs) was a key measure in improving performance, the meeting noted that DCOs in a majority of districts were now holding preparatory meetings at least ten days ahead of the next polio round in line with the National Emergency Action Plan.