Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid renewed pledge to eradicate Polio from Punjab in a meeting of the Independent Monitoring Board at the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department here on Thursday. Additional Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Ms. Sundas Irshad, Director DG Health Services Dr. Suhail Arshad, Dr. Aslam Chaudhry, representatives of World Health Organization and Unicef were present. Present on video link were Team Lead IMB Professor Liam Donaldson, Dr. Ala Alwin, Dr. Thomas and Dr. Susan Goldstein. Additional Secretary PSH Department shared the progress on Polio eradication efforts.
Minister for health Dr. Yasmin Rashid said, “In the last three months, all of Punjab’s environmental samples were negative. I appreciate the team of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department and district administration for this. We are extremely grateful to the IMB for this support. Punjab government is committed to polio eradication efforts. The meetings of the Provincial Task Force are regularly organized. All the targets of the Polio campaigns are being achieved here in Punjab. In all districts meetings are being regularly held. All samples taken in March and April are negative. As compared to last year, the number of districts affected by Polio has gone down from 15 to 5. Despite Corona Pandemic, six polio campaigns were held. All resources are being mobilized to make Punjab Polio free.”
