Khawaja Salman Rafique calls an emergent meeting on Sunday to review the polio situation

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has called an emergent meeting on Sunday 26 April to review the polio situation and micro planning for its eradication. EDOs, DOs and DDOs of Health of six districts have also been called in the meeting due to the reported deficiencies in the micro planning and polio coverage, in some union councils of the said districts.

He was presiding over a meeting to review polio situation in the province at Civil Secretariat, today. Secretary Health Jawad Rafique Malik, Director General Health Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Director EPI Dr. Munir Ahmad, Addl. Director EPI Sohail Ahmad, Representative of Melinda Gates Foundations Dr. Asad Chaudhary and WHO’s Representative Dr. Abdullah Ashraf attended the meeting. Director EPI presented third-party evaluation report of WHO.

Secretary Health expressed his dissatisfaction over the percentage of coverage of anti-polio campaign and micro planning strategy. Secretary Health directed to convene a meeting in this regard. He said that low coverage during anti-polio campaign and deficiency in micro planning for polio campaign would not be acceptable at any cost and responsibility should be fixed on the concerned officer.

Addressing the meeting, Khawaja Salman Rafique said that reward and punishment system has been started in the Health Department and Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif is personally awarding cash awards to the officers on their outstanding performance while the officers showing poor performance would be held accountable. He said that presence of polio in Pakistan is an embarrassment for the nation and zero tolerance policy has been adopted in this regard.

He said that though there is no polio case has so far been reported in Punjab during 2015 but Health Department has to remain alert and foolproof micro planning should be chalked out and 100 percent implementation on SOPs should be ensured so that no children left without polio drops. He made it clear that poor performers would have to leave the positions. He said that efficient and vibrant officers would be given opportunity to come forward.