LAHORE: A meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, on anti-polio campaign on Sunday discussed increasing the age for vaccination and sought suggestions from the National Polio Management Team (NPMT) to make the vaccination compulsory for the children up to 10 years of age.

The meeting also reviewed the reasons for polio resurgence in the provincial capital and future strategy for eradicating the same.

Mr Buzdar expressed his displeasure at the recent reports of polio case as well as positive environmental samples carrying poliovirus at Rawalpindi and Faisalabad. Terming the situation alarming and intolerable, he directed the health authorities to devise plans for anti-polio campaign with zero negligence. He sought special steps to ensure vaccination of all children at the entry and exit points of Lahore and bus and railway stations to make Punjab a polio-free zone.

CM annoyed at recent reports of polio resurgence

Saying that he himself would monitor the anti-polio campaign, the CM asked the chief secretary to chair review meetings on a weekly basis while he himself would head monthly meetings.

The meeting on Sunday was told that the polio case of a nine-year-old child of Bajaur was confirmed. Besides discussing the age for polio vaccination, it was also decided to improve sewerage on the Outfall Road of the provincial capital and establish a sub-division of Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) there to solve the drainage problem. The CM also directed the authorities to provide clean drinking water to the area.

Lahore Deputy Commissioner Saleha Saeed presented the report on the polio case at Shalimar Town and stated that the affected child had not been administered zero dose for poliovirus but was vaccinated in a routine campaign.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mahmoodur Rasheed, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Murad Raas, the chief secretary, the PM’s focal person for polio programme Babar Bin Atta, spokesman for CM Dr Shehbaz Gill, secretaries of local government, information, school education, primary and secondary health and housing, and commissioners of Lahore and Faisalabad divisions, the experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the director general health services and other officials concerned.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2019