DCOs and EDOs health would be held accountable if polio coverage targets are not achieved

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh. Salman Rafiq has said that DCOs and EDOs health would be held accountable if polio coverage targets are not achieved in their districts and responsibility would be fixed for poor performance. He said that Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has made it clear to all stakeholders that no leniency or slackness would be tolerated on this important issue.

He was presiding over an emergency meeting at Polio Emergency Operation Center at Directorate General Health to review the current situation of polio in Punjab in the context of newly reported polio virus in a 9-month old baby Parwana D/o of Baaz Gul, here today.

The meeting reviewed polio situation in Punjab and discussed the case of 9 months old Parwana in detail. It was informed that during 2014 four polio cases have reported in Punjab out of 303 polio cases reported from the country. It was informed that all the reported polio cases in Punjab are related to the migrated population and the family of recently polio virus affected baby had also shifted from Loralai, Balochistan to DG Khan Punjab in November 2014.

The child had taken two doses of polio vaccine in DG Khan, first on 10 December 2014 and the second on January 5 whereas, the baby Parwana was declared as polio affected on 20^th December. Dr. Munir Ahmed Director EPI informed that two doses of polio vaccine are not sufficient for developing immunity in the child against polio virus. Dr. Ubaid ul Islam representative of WHO informed that 29 polio cases had been reported in Balochistan during 2014.

Kh Salman Rafiq directed that the newly reported polio case in DG Khan should be further investigated and genetic type of polio virus in the baby should also be pointed out so that the resemblance of polio virus could be determined. DG Health Dr. Zahir Pervaiz, Representatives of WHO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF and other officers and experts also attended the meeting. It was decided that besides national immunization campaign against polio, special anti-polio campaigns would be continued in the high risk districts and union councils and efforts would be made to reach every child.

Kh. Salman Rafiq directed the DG Health to convey clear directions to every EDO Health that no negligence or laziness on the part of officers would be tolerated towards ensuring success of campaign.