Lahore, October 28, 2020 (PPI-OT):Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid met a delegation of the World Health Organization at the Committee Room of the Primary and Secondary Health Care Department here on Wednesday to discuss the status of Polio eradication efforts from Punjab. Present on the occasion were Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Captain (Retd) Usman Younis, Additional Secretary Coordination and Coordinator Emergency Operation Center Punjab Ms. Sundas Irshad, Dr. Hussain Jaffery, WHO Regional Head for Polio Dr. Hamid Jaffery and other officials. Secretary PSH Department Captain (Retd) Usman Younis shared an overall review of Polio SIAs in Punjab and ongoing efforts to eradicate it.
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid said, “Polio campaign is underway currently in Punjab. Polio drops are being administered to children across the province and districts bordering other provinces are under special focus. All Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners are personally supervising the Polio campaigns in Punjab. Our teams are going door to door to vaccinate children in endemic areas. I want to see Punjab Polio free. All teams have been directed to cover all children including guest children. I urge parents to vaccinate their children and fully cooperate with the mobile teams and the visit fixed Centers if somehow teams miss a child.”
The Minister further said that support of people is crucial to polio eradication as, without this support, the government alone cannot make achieve the target. The Polio SIAs, she added, are being conducted according to the SOPs. She also said that Corona cases are increasing in Pakistan including Punjab and people will have to follow SOPs to control Corona. Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Captain (retd) Usman Younis said that polio teams have been given target to cover each and every child, especially in the affected areas. “We are utilizing all resources to control Poliovirus circulation in Punjab, especially in Lahore. Our target is to cover 100 per cent children in Punjab,” he added. WHO Polio Team Lead Hamid Jaffery appreciated the unwavering commitment from the highest political offices and the administrative departments.
For more information, contact:
Directorate General Public Relations,
Government of the Punjab
Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-9201390-86
Website: www.punjab.gov.pk