Stringent security steps to be adopted for anti-polio campaign says Chief Secretary
- September 9, 2015, 10:13 pm
- National News
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HQ City Report
QUETTA: The Chief Secretary Balochistan, Saifullah Chattha has underlined the need to adopt stringent security measures during the forthcoming anti-polio campaign in the province.
The fool proof security of the teams to be engaged in the polio immunization campaign should be ensured, and the services of the Pak army and Frontier Corps (FC) would be acquired if needed so for security of the polio teams, said the Chief Secretary while chairing a meeting about the polio immunization campaign here the other day.
The meeting attended by the Secretary Health, Noorul Haq Baloch, Additional Secretary Health and Coordinator of Emergency Operation Center, Dr. Syed Saifur Rehman, secretaries of different other government departments, commissioners of Quetta and Zhob Divisions, deputy commissioners, senior officials of the Police and FC as well as representatives of the UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO) and other concerned officials reviewed the preparations being made for the campaign.
The meeting also reviewed the security matters pertaining to the campaign and other related matters.
Addressing the meeting, the Chief Secretary stressed that we have to eradicate polio virus from the province at all cost.
It is our objective to ensure eradication of polio from the province, he added. The Chief Secretary also said that we have to secure future of our children.
He also mentioned that a male and female government servant would also be deployed with the anti-polio teams.
He directed to the concerned to ensure security of the teams. He also asked to seek very cooperation of the tribal elders, elites, members of the civil society and media in the forthcoming polio immunization campaign.
It may be mentioned here that the national level immunization campaign is scheduled to be launched from September 14, 2015 all over the province as elsewhere in the country.
The sources of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) told that the necessary arrangements are being made to make the vital campaign a great success.
The four-day campaign would remain continued till September 17, 2015. During the campaign, we have targeted to immunize some 2.2 million children below five years of age, the sources maintained.
The teams of health workers and volunteers are being formed for the forthcoming campaign.
Regarding arrangements for the campaign, two important meetings have already been held in Quetta. The issues related to the campaign were discussed during the meeting.
The Chief Secretary, Saifullah Chattha, who presided over the meetings, reviewed the arrangements and other necessary measures in this regard.
The sources said that the special focus is being given on 100 percent immunization of the children against the crippling disease. We are ensuring that none of the children is missed from the vaccination in the forthcoming campaign, the sources said.
Special focus would also be on the 61 high risk union councils of the province, majority of them fall in the Quetta bloc comprising Quetta, Pishin and Killa Abdullah districts.
Of course, the parents refusing administration of anti-polio drops to their children are creating issue in eradication of polio, so we have to convince them by hook or by crook to vaccinate their children against the disease, the sources maintained.
The divisional and district level committees have been formed headed by the respective Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners to tackle the issue of refusals, they said.
The administrations have been given the task to concentrate on the refusal cases so that the goal of eradication could be achieved.
The sources further informed that the arrangements have already been started at the district level with formation of the District Polio Eradication Committees there.
