ISLAMABAD: Mayor of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) on Wednesday held a meeting and reviewed the arrangements for the anti-polio campaign starting in the federal capital from November 12.
The participants of the meeting reviewed the steps regarding the elimination of polio from the twin cities.
“Different suggestions to make the campaign more effective were discussed at length during the meeting,” a press release said.
While chairing the meeting, Mayor of Islamabad Sheikh Anser Aziz said that the eradication of polio is our national obligation.
“In order to fulfil this responsibility, the administration of both the twin cities would have to work in close coordination and consultation so that the next generation can be saved from this menace,” he said.
He ordered the constitution of a sub-committee to implement the suggestions discussed during the meeting.
The committee will formulate a comprehensive strategy in the light of the suggestions and a task force will then take practical steps in the light of the formulated strategy.
While showing his reservations for not achieving the desired results in different union councils of Islamabad, Anser Aziz said that the elected representatives from different union councils should not only cooperate with polio teams but also ensure that every child under the age of 5 years has been administered with polio drops.
Regarding the non-cooperation of public from posh areas of Islamabad, the mayor said that students of medical colleges can be engaged in the anti-polio campaign to convince people to immunise their child with the drops.
He said that a special focus will be made in high-risk areas of the twin cities, adding that the population of 33 union councils are residing in adjoining areas of the twin cities, therefore, a close liaison was more than necessary to curb polio in these areas.
He said that people from all walks of life including religious scholars, teachers, students and other prominent figures should be engaged to make the polio immunisation campaign successful.
The mayor said that the population of Islamabad has reached two million, therefore the city should be divided into different zones according to population and polio teams should be deputed in these zones to ensure that every child is administered with the drops.
He also said that MCI will provide human resource, machinery and other resources to make this campaign a success.
Furthermore, while expressing satisfaction over the performance of volunteers, paramedical and supervisory staff, he said that he will be personally monitoring the campaign as well.
During the meeting, representatives of Rawalpindi Administration, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration and World Health Organisation (WHO) briefed the participants about the steps taken to eradicate the menace of polio.
MCI Health Service director general (DG) and the Punjab Health DG apprised the meeting about the steps taken by their departments in this regard.
Mayor Anser Aziz has directed the concerned authorities to hold a meeting of the task force on November 22 in order to review the results of the Anti-Polio Campaign starting so that the next campaign can be made more effective and result oriented.
