Punjab will be made a polio-free province: Secretary Health Punjab Dr. Ijaz Munir

Lahore: With a view to making Punjab a polio-free province, Provincial Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication is being set up in Punjab. The office of PEOC will be established in the building of Directorate General Health Services. Director General Health Punjab has been nominated as Emergency Coordinator.

It was decided in a meeting chaired by Secretary Health Punjab Dr. Ijaz Munir, here at Civil Secretariat today. Besides, Additional Secretary Health (Technical) Dr. Salman Shahid, Director General Health Punjab Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Provincial Chief World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Obaid ul Islam, representatives of UNICEF Dr. Tahir Manzoor, Rotary International Saeed Shamsi, Melinda Gates Foundation Dr. Aslam Chaudhry, Director Health (EPI) Dr Munir and other concerned officers were present.

The meeting was informed that Provincial Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication will monitor and coordinate to ensure achievement of the targets of National Polio Emergency Plan. This centre would also strengthen District Polio Control Rooms besides ensuring coverage of anti-polio campaigns and improving routine immunization Programme (EPI).

Provincial Emergency Operations Centre would collect and evaluate the data as well as monitor immunization activities. This centre would also coordinate with Provincial Health Department in collecting the data of IDPs and immunization of their children. The officials of WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International, Melinda Gates Foundation and EPI Wing Health Department will perform their duties in the provincial EOC and will be responsible for social mobilization, advocacy, surveillance, capacity-building, training, reporting of high risk population and data analysis.

Secretary Health directed to establish Provincial Emergency Operations Centre and making it functional immediately.