Parliamentary Secretary Health Punjab Dr Saeed Elahi has said that eradication of poverty and illiteracy is a must to achieve the goal of creation of a polio free society. "The percentage of surfacing polio cases is higher in those areas which are gripped by terrorism, poverty and backwardness," he said while inaugurating a 3-day 'National Immunisation Campaign Against Polio at Children Hospital, here Monday.
Dr Saeed Elahi said that Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif is working hard with dedication, honesty and full devotion for making Punjab free from all diseases and all the stakeholders, including Health Department would have to work with a spirit of professionalism and devotion.
EDO Health Lahore, Dr Umer Farooq Baloch, representatives of WHO and Unicef, Medical Director Children Hospital, Professor Ehsan Waheed Rathore and senior officers of the Health Department were also present on the occasion. Dr Saeed Elahi informed that 111 polio cases have so far reported in Pakistan out of which only six such cases have been reported in Punjab. He said that as compared to other areas maximum cases of polio had been reported from Fata, which is the direct target of terrorist activities due to that vaccination campaign could not be made successful.
Dr Saeed Elahi further said that Punjab government is fully aware of the situation and working with the collaboration of WHO, UniceF and other international organisations for the eradication of such diseases. He said that fight against polio is the collective responsibility of our society as our minor negligence makes a child disabled for whole life.
He said that 3-day National Polio Campaign would continue till 10th November during which 1, 60,000,00 children of five years of age would be administered polio drops along with Vitamin-A dose. For this purpose 31,915 mobile teams would visit door-to-door and 4,170 stationed and 2,197 vaccination teams would administer polio drops at the hospitals, BHUs , dispensaries and the exits of the cities like Railway Stations, Bus Terminals and Airports etc, he added. Earlier, Medical Director of Children Hospital, Professor Ehsan Waheed Rathore briefed the participants about the services rendered by the institution for making the polio campaign a success.