Deputy Commissioner Sarmad Ali Bhagat has stressed the need for a more effective and comprehensive strategy for the eradication of polio, saying that there is an urgent need to address cases of vaccination refusal by increasing contact with local dignitaries, religious leaders, and parents to restore public trust.
This directive was issued during a high-level meeting on Saturday where Mr. Bhagat conducted a detailed review of the district’s anti-polio campaign with the team from the District Emergency Operation Center. The meeting focused on the campaign’s performance, micro-planning, and administrative challenges.
Medical experts, representatives of the World Health Organization, and polio campaign staff briefed the Deputy Commissioner on the current status of the immunization program, the implementation of the prevailing micro-plan, and the problems faced by teams in the field.
Mr. Bhagat emphasized that the micro-planning should be further improved and made more practical, and said that a robust micro-plan is the “guarantee of the polio campaign’s success.”
He directed all officers to perform their duties with honesty and dedication and ensure that polio teams have access to every household. Expressing confidence in the campaign, the Deputy Commissioner said that with collective efforts, the district can soon be made polio-free.
In response, the Emergency Operations Center team assured the Deputy Commissioner that his directives would be fully implemented and all possible measures would be taken to eradicate the virus.