Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The meeting of the task force constituted to eliminate polio from Islamabad and Rawalpindi was held at the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) Headquarters on Wednesday.

Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz chaired the meeting, which was also attended by MCI health services director general, Punjab health director general, Islamabad additional deputy commissioner (General), representatives of World Health Organisation, Islamabad district health officer and officers concerned of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, Rawalpindi administration and the MCI.

During the meeting, different suggestions to the make anti-polio campaign, in the twin cities, more effective were discussed at length.

Addressing the participants of the meeting, Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz said “eradication of polio is our national obligation”. “In order to fulfil this responsibility, administration of the twin cities would have to work in close coordination and consultation so that next generation could be saved from the menace.”

Aziz also directed formation of a sub-committee to implement different suggestions discussed during the meeting. The committee would formulate a comprehensive strategy in the light of suggestions and task force would take practical steps in the light of formulated strategy.

The mayor, while showing his reservations over failure in achieving the desired results in different union counsels of Islamabad, said that elected representatives from different union councils should not only cooperate with polio teams but should also ensure that every child under the age of five years had been administered polio drops.

Regarding non-cooperation of public from posh areas of Islamabad, he said that students of medical colleges should be engaged in anti-polio campaigns to convince people to get their children immunised against polio.

He said that special focus would be made in high-risk areas of twin cities. He said that population of 33 union councils were residing in the boarder / adjoining areas of twin cities, therefore, a close liaison between the administration was very much necessary to curb polio in those areas. He said that people from all walks of life, including religious scholars, teachers, students and other prominent figures should be engaged to make the campaign more successful.

Moreover, the mayor said that population of the capital had reached two million, therefore, the city should be divided into different zones according to population and polio teams would be deputed to ensure that every child could be administered polio drops.

He also reviewed arrangements of the anti-polio campaign being started from November 12, 2018. He said that the MCI would provide human resource, machinery and other resources to make the campaign a success. He said that he would personally monitor this campaign. He showed his satisfaction over performance of volunteers, paramedical and supervisory staff.

During the meeting representatives of Rawalpindi administration, the ICT administration and World Health Organisation briefed the participants about the steps taken to eradicate the polio.

The MCI health services director general and Punjab health director general apprised the meeting of the steps taken by their departments in this regard.

The mayor directed them to hold a next meeting of the task force on November 22 to review the results of campaign, scheduled to start from November 12, so that in the light of the results the next anti-polio camping could be made more effective and result oriented.

Published in Daily Times, November 1^st 2018.