Polio workers preforming national service, says PM Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan while reviewing the arrangements of the polio eradication campaign, termed the work done by those involved in the inoculation drive as “national service”.

PM Imran, while addressing a meeting to review arrangements for the upcoming polio eradication campaign, appreciated the efforts made by the teams in reaching out to children in far-flung and hard areas of the country.

The premier directed SAPM on Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan to come up with a rewards’ plan for best-performing polio workers.

Read more: Sewage samples from Punjab are polio-free, says CM Usman Buzdar

The PM emphasised that low-transmission season is a crucial stage and that the country has to act against polio with “killer instincts”.

“These workers are performing a national service and deserve special appreciation,” said PM Imran. He also “highly appreciated” the hard work done by the chief secretaries and deputy commissioners.

He directed the provincial chief secretaries and DCs to sustain the polio eradication drive with the same vigour and focus.

The PM directed the district governments to take responsibility to initiate deterrent legal action in cases of harassment or attacks on Polio workers.

Read more: Commissioner Karachi vows to continue efforts to eliminate polio from city

Earlier, the meeting was informed that southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, districts of Balochistan including Quetta, Qila Abdullah and Pishin and districts of Sindh including Hyderabad and Karachi are most vulnerable as regards to the spread of poliovirus through sewage and water.

The meeting was also informed that international organisations are acknowledging the effective efforts of the government against Covid-19 and Polio.

The meeting was attended by SAPM Dr Faisal Sultan, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Nausheen Hamid and senior officials.

Chief secretaries of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and deputy commissioners of more than 30 Districts attended the meeting via video link.