Provincial Minister for Health Dr. Azra Pechuho said that the polio campaigns in Sindh are being carried out in a very good manner and no case of polio has been reported in the last two and half year
She said this in an important meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Polio Eradication held here at the Sindh Secretariat. It was chaired by Chief Secretary Sindh Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput and co chaired by Provincial Minister for Health Dr Azra Pechoho. The meeting was attended by Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon, Secretary Health Zulfiqar Shah, additional IG Karachi Javed Alam Odhu, Secretary School Education Ghulam Akbar Leghari, Coordinator Emergency Operations Center Fayaz Abbasi, CO PPHI Javed Ali and representatives of Rotary International , members of EOC Sindh while all the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners have participated through video link.
She further said that a polio campaign would be launched in the province from Monday. She requested the parents to cooperate with the polio teams and immunize children up to 5 years of age. The provincial Health Minister said that the role of social mobilizer’s and influencers should be made more effective to persuade parents who earlier refused to administer polio drops.
Chief Secretary Sindh Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput directed all the Deputy Commissioners to launch the polio campaign in full swing and said that 100% of the targets set for the polio campaign should be achieved and no shortcomings would be tolerated in the polio campaign. “Last mile towards polio free Pakistan is very challenging” Said CS Sindh.
He further said that people from other provinces are migrating to Sindh for which an effective polio campaign should be launched at entry points of the province. It was decided at the meeting that polio drops would be administered at bus stands and railway stations with the help of police, Railway police and Rangers. Polio drops will be effectively administered at bus stands in Karachi Toll Plaza, Hyderabad Toll Plaza, Jacobabad, Ghotki and Kashmore and other border districts of the province and for which the health department would increase the number of polio teams.
The Chief Secretary Sindh also directed to secretary schools education to direct private schools to cooperate with polio teams.
Provincial Coordinator Emergency Operations Center Fayaz Abbasi informed the meeting that 41883 frontline workers will reach up to 5.6 million children in 16 district of the province from 13th march to 19th March.
Additional IG Karachi Javed Alam Odho assured security arrangements for the campaign.
The officials of the World Health Organization and National Emergency and Operation Centre took part in the meeting through video link and assured the Sindh government their fullest cooperation to conduct the anti-polio drive.
