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DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Jan 16 (APP):Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry on Thursday stated that eradication of polio virus from the country was a national cause, and any negligence or laxity in fulfilling this responsibility would not be tolerated.
He stated this while chairing a high level meeting here at Commissioner Officer during his visit to Dera Ismail Khan which was also attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akhtar Hayat Khan deputy commissioners, district police officers, additional deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, and officers from various departments.
During the meeting, the chief secretary expressed his serious concerns over the recently surfaced 16 polio cases from Dera Ismail Khan division including 11 from Dera Ismail Khan district and five from Tank.
The chief secretary said that achievement of the set targets for every anti-polio campaign must be ensured, and the vaccination plan must be fully implemented to reach every child of less than five years of age in order to save children from becoming victim to this dangerous and crippling disease.
To ensure access to every child, the use of updated models and patterns should be adopted, he said and added that full support would be extended from the administration for the purpose.
“Fixed points should be established with all immunization facilities to provide convenience to the public and ensure easy access to vaccination,” he instructed.
He mentioned that the polio was a virus which could only be cured with timely vaccination, urging all parents to ensure their children of less than five years of age are administered with anti-polio drops during every campaign.
The chief secretary directed that the activities related to follow-up vaccinations should also continue alongside regular campaigns.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary was briefed on the performance of various departments, including education, social welfare, tourism, industries, health, and others.
He issued directives to improve the quality of education and provide facilities to other departments.
He emphasized that all available resources were being utilized for the promotion of tourism.
He said that better strategies should be devised to address missed union councils.
During a briefing on the security situation, it was highlighted that door-to-door campaigns are conducted in approximately 90 percent areas. However, in light of the recent security situation, changes were being made to the strategy. Addressing the gathering, IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan emphasized the need to control the recently increased trend of demand-based refusals, as polio vaccination is a national duty carried out for public welfare.
He assured that all resources were being utilized not only for the security of anti-polio teams but also to improve the overall security situation in the province.
The chief secretary directed that local influencers and Imams of Masajid also include their statements about the severe impacts of the polio virus and the importance of anti-polio drops in their sermons.
“All relevant departments should also utilize social media platforms to create awareness against the polio virus,” he stressed.
Furthermore, he said that fake finger marking would not be tolerated, and strict action must be taken against any personnel involved in such acts.
Later, the chief secretary and IGP visited the Police Training School in Dera Ismail Khan, where they inspected ongoing projects, including a rest house, residences, and facilities for police personnel training, such as training grounds and tracks.