Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister for Health, Shahram Khan Tarakai has directed all the District Health Officers (DHOs) to take result-oriented steps to ensure the eradication of polio virus from the province by the year 2016 adding that special attention should be focused on the areas of the province where results of anti-polio campaigns have been unsatisfactory during the past campaigns.
He has warned that stern action will be initiated against the concerned DHO if results of anti-polio drives were found unsatisfactory in any district.
Shahram Khan Tarakai was chairing a meeting regarding eradication of polio virus on Tuesday. Besides Secretary Health, Dr.Jamal Yousaf, Director General Health Services, Dr. Pervez Kamal and Provincial Coordinator Polio Emergency Operation Centre Muhammad Akbar Khan, the meeting was attended by all DHOs and representatives of WHO and other partner organizations.
The meeting besides reviewing the outcomes of the last two anti-polio campaigns carried out across the province, discussed in detail matters related to ensure 100 per cent targets of the upcoming campaigns and various important decisions were taken to this effect.
The chair further directed the DHOs to specially focus on the localities where refusal cases were being reported frequently and suggested to involve the local Ulemas and elected local body members to get the parents convinced.
Urging upon the need of reviewing the micro-plans of polio campaigns, he directed the concerned quarters to revisit the plans and realign it according to the ground realities instead of sticking to the traditional way so that it could yield maximum results.
The provincial minister also stressed the need of putting in place an effective system of monitoring the polio teams and better coordination with the partner organization to ensure immunization of each and every child against polio virus.
“Eradication of polio virus from the province by next year is one of the top priorities of the present provincial government and in this regard our province is in the spot light but above that it is a matter of the future of our next generation which could not be compromised at any cost”. Shahram Khan reiterated and urged upon all concerned quarters including the DHOs to play their part well to make this dream come true.
The meeting decided to undertake micro-census and registration in 50 union councils of Peshawar to ensure access to each and every child and next time the same will be carried out in those areas as well where cent per cent results of polio campaigns are not being achieved.
