Polio-free Pakistan: ‘All set to fight polio this winter’

CM’s adviser says Provincial Emergency Operation Centre to monitor polio situation

LAHORE:

Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique said on Sunday the Health Department had finalised arrangements to launch an anti-polio campaign during winter – a low transmission season of the virus.

The adviser was speaking to a delegation of Rotary International from Switzerland, the Netherlands and Italy.

The delegates are visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Lahore Rotary Club.



Rotary Club Punjab governor Mansoorul Haq, district governor Saeed Shamsi, Muhammad Shahzad, Sajid Bhatti, Mir Arif Ali and representatives of the World Health Organisation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation were also present.

Rafique said the government was committed to eradicating the disease.

Earlier, Extended Programme on Immunisation Director Munir Ahmad briefed the delegation on the current situation of polio in the country.

He apprised them about the government’s plan to fight the disease during the low transmission season.

Rafique said that on the chief minister’s Directive, the Provincial Emergency Operation Centre had been set up again to monitor the polio situation in the province.

It has been established at the office of the health services director general.

He said the centre had been working in liaison with district authorities, representatives of the WHO, the UNICEF, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rotary Club to make anti-polio efforts a success.

Rafique lauded the Rotary Club of Pakistan for its struggle against polio. “The Rotary Club has always cooperated with the Health Department in eradicating the disease.”

The adviser said the Rotary Club had recently provided containers for establishing polio checkposts at exists of cities. He said containers had been installed at Khairabad Bridge, Attock, and Pir Wadhai bus stand in Rawalpindi.

He said another container would be installed at Badami Bagh on October 30.

The delegates said they had faced no security issue in Pakistan. They said that after participating in an anti-polio walk on the World Polio Day and meeting government officials, they had released that the government and the people of the Punjab were committed to eradicating polio.

Shamsi thanked the adviser for inviting the delegation and arranging a briefing on the polio situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2014.