Punjab chief secretary has directed the deputy commissioners in Punjab to continue the momentum of good work in polio eradication, especially by enhanced surveillance of high-risk migrant and mobile population in all districts in Punjab.
The chief secretary chaired the quarterly Provincial Task Force meeting which was attended by the additional chief secretary, provincial secretaries, deputy commissioners, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department officials, EPI technical team, UNICEF, WHO and Gates Foundation representatives.
As per National Emergency Action Plan for Polio Eradication, the provincial task force meets quarterly under the chair of the chief secretary to review progress on polio eradication and routine immunisation.
The additional chief secretary appreciated that Punjab did not report any polio case in the year 2016, emphasising that the good work must continue and surveillance must further improve especially in areas having large population movement from polio affected districts.
The additional chief secretary took note of districts showing sub-optimal performance in routine immunisation. In the meeting, the introduction of a pay-for-performance package in persistently weak union councils was also discussed.
EPI Director Dr Munir Ahmed presented an analysis of weak union councils for which the chair issued directives for remedial measures. The chief secretary said that only by improving supervision, monitoring and accountability, can Punjab keep the momentum of good performance reflected in a zero polio year and improvement in routine immunisation coverage.
The EPI director also informed that even though Punjab has achieved NEAP targets of LQAS, the campaign quality still needs improvement in Lahore and Rawalpindi.
The chief secretary also directed the deputy commissioners to ensure accountability of peer performance.
