A three day polio campaign for high-risk areas of the country was inaugurated here on Sunday by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister and Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Begum Shahnaz Wazir Ali and Leader of the House in Senate Senator Nayyar Hussain Bukhari at the CDA directorate of health services. The federal capital has been a polio-free city since last three years as no such case has been detected during the period due to enhanced vigilance of civic authorities, informed by the health authorities in an inauguration ceremony of Polio Campaign in Islamabad, says a press release issued here on Sunday by PM Secretariat.
Senator Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said that eradication of polio is the first priority of the government. The government is making all out efforts to end this menace from the country. The Senator directed that for the future polio campaigns the IG Police and District Administration may be fully involved to ensure that any bottlenecks in achieving campaign targets are overcome.
Begum Shahnaz Wazir Ali while talking to the media said that Prime Minister of Pakistan is directly monitoring the polio eradication activities and in this regard, National Emergency Action Plan has been formulated wherein compulsorily bound that polio teams should be government servants so that they would be held responsible for a lapse or polio case due to the negligence of polio workers.
On the occasion, Dr. Hasan Orooj, Director Health giving a presentation said that the Directorate of Health Service has divided Islamabad in 14 Zones and constituted 538 teams to vaccinate the children. A Medical Officers as Zonal Supervisors has headed the teams. Moreover, 107 Fixed Centers and 52 Transit Points have also been established. 1500 workers are participating in the Campaign. A Target of 126000children has been set for three days Polio Campaign. He informed that Eradication of Polio from Federal Capital is given special importance and a Polio Eradication Committee has been constituted, which holds its meetings to plan and organize polio campaigns. The Polio Eradication Committee comprises of all major stakeholders in the city under the chairmanship of Chairman CDA i.e. representatives of the law enforcing agencies, Directorate General of Education, Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce, Executive Directors of PIMS, Shifa International Hospital, Federal Government Services Hospital and other major hospitals of Islamabad, National Institute of Health, District Health Officer, Islamabad, representatives of the civil society in addition to UNICEF, WHO, Rotary International, Plan International, JICA etc. This is a unique model, which has proved successful in bringing together all stakeholders to join hands with CDA in the eradication of polio in Islamabad.
