Officials ordered to suspend other business to make anti-polio drive a success

Karachi:District Coordination Officer Karachi Muhammad Hussain Syed has directed officers of Health, Revenue, Education and Community Development Department to make the 111th anti polio campaign successful while suspending all other routine activities from Jan.29 to 2nd February 2011.

He also directed all field officers of city government Karachi to take all possible measures for making this campaign successful with the help of civil society, people's representatives, social and welfare organizations and religious leaders so that our country could be included into the list of polio free countries. He was addressing a high level meeting in the Committee Room of Civic Center on Thursday which was attended by EDO Health Dr. Nasir Javed, EDO E&IP Dr. Saif-ur-Rehman, EDO Education Ibrahim Kanbhar and all DDOs Revenue and other officers. During a briefing on this occasion, it was informed that Pakistan is currently facing an awful situation with regard to polio. The World Health Organization had issued warning that it would shelve 50 per cent of work here if the targets set up for the 111th Anti Polio Campaign were not achieved while the international aid for eradication of polio would also be suspended.

Pakistanis traveling abroad would also not be able to get the visa of other countries. It was informed that Pakistan is presently among the four countries of world where polio virus still exists and while the virus is diminishing in other three countries, Pakistan is facing a higher rate of polio virus existence which is not an ideal situation for the country. DCO Karachi formed a committee consisting of the officers of health, revenue, education community development department to continuously review and monitor the 111th Anti Polio Campaign in Karachi. He said that the country was presently not in a position to afford any reduction in the foreign aid due to our own negligence or carelessne! ss. He f urther said that he will himself be on ground during the campaign and check the progress. DCO Karachi directed all DDOs Revenue to call meetings at town and union council level to devise the strategy for the anti-polio campaign He said that the target for the campaign will have to achieve and the katchi abadies and low income areas should be given especial attention for this. He also said that the campaign will be extended to 5 days if the target is not achieved in three day time.