Islamabad Chief Commissioner Tariq Mahmood Pirzada reviewed the arrangements for the polio immunisation campaign to be initiated in Islamabad during a high level meeting held on Thursday.
The commissioner urged the participants to mobilise all their resources and to exert concerted efforts for the eradication of polio.
Commissioner Pirzada said serious efforts are needed on the part of all those who are involved in the immunisation campaigns for the eradication of polio and that meeting was held to ensure that effective arrangements were in place for addressing the challenge.
It was decided in the meeting that the Federal Directorate of Education would hand over the list of their teachers to the District Health Office, ICT and CDA by April 13, after which the teachers will be trained from April, 14.
The CDA, DHO and ICT have made comprehensive arrangements for the 6-day training of volunteers as the number of polio teams was increased.
It was also decided that the teachers who will be trained, will administer anti-polio drops in their areas of posting and residence.
The commissioner also directed the ICT DHO to maintain the particulars of volunteers and polio team members, including their national identity card numbers, account numbers and mobile phone numbers for effective co-ordination during the campaign.
The participating departments also nominated their focal persons for the drive. Federal Directorate of Education has also nominated 21 Area Educations Officers in the rural and urban areas for effective co-ordination with the DHO.
It was informed that the CDA is providing 10 to 15 vehicles and 100 volunteer officials for the up-coming drive and that the services of 100 PIMS nurses have also been acquired by the CDA for strengthening the manpower support for the teams.
It was also informed that the numbers of polio teams for urban and rural areas have also been increased from 700 to 950.
The rural areas are divided into 12 zones and urban area into 15 zones.
Pirzada said comprehensive human resource and logistic support will be ensured for polio teams in order to make the immunisation campaigns more effective and responsive.
The meeting was attended by the Capital Development Authority members, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed, WHO officials, Capital Administration and Development Division, Federal Directorate of Education representatives and Islamabad DHO Dr Azhar.
