Daily Times

SUKKUR: Divisional Polio Task Force of Larkana and Sukkur Division held at Deputy Commissioner Office Sukkur which was chaired by Commissioner Abbas Baloch and Provincial Coordinator Emergency Operation Center (EOC) Fayaz Ahmed Jatoi on Thursday to review the progress of polio vaccination and evaluation of missing child in the Larkana and Sukkur Division.

Dr Alam Azad presented the report from the Larkana Divisional Task force and Ghulam Akbar Ghangharo displayed the performance report of Sukkur Divisional Task Force.

When it was informed that more than 1810 children remain missing from polio immunization only is Shikarpur district, The commissioner and provincial coordinator shown their anger over the report and directed the health officers to re-strengthen their strategies and to focus on effective immunisation.

Report reveals that 755 children remain missing from polio immunization in Larkana, 639 in Kashmore, 1223 in Shahdadkot and 757 in Jacoabad district. The Coordinator Fayaza Jatoi termed the position as horrible and directed the task force officers to cover up the missing children at earliest.

He also announced that EPI budget to be made available with each district on quarterly basis which’s PC I had been approved by cabinet.

The Coordinator also told meeting that efforts would be enhanced in 90 UCs of both division which had been termed as most high risk population and the children of these UCs would be immunized now by Standard mobile teams.

The commissioner and Coordinator directed all the deputy commissioners and health officers of the both divisions to put in all efforts to administrate the polio drops to 0-5-year-children.

Commissioner Abbas Baloch urged upon them that monitoring system may be ensured besides the District and Taluka control rooms may also be activated in order to success the anti-polio campaign.

He said that action will be taken against the officers if found negligence in Polio Campaign.

He directed to the Deputy Commissioners, District Health Officers to monitor the campaign in their respective Districts.

He also emphasised that officers should visit each and every Union council and arrange meetings with local people to fully participate in this national cause. He also directed to implement all the decisions taken in meetings.

The Commissioner said that collective efforts were required for the success of the anti-polio campaign, adding that all the line departments must also cooperate with the health department.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of WHO, Deputy Commissioners and DHOs of Sukkur, Khairpur, Ghotki, Larkana, Kamber-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacoababad and Kandhkot-Kashmore, Additional Commissioner-I Larkana Division, representative of WHO, UNICEF, a large number of officials of the health department and PPHI.

Published in Daily Times, June 24th, 2017.