PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry has taken serious notice of the absence of deputy commissioners, district police officers and district health officers from polio-related meetings and warned them to ensure quality vaccination in September campaign or face action.

The warning was issued at the meeting of provincial task force on polio eradication chaired by chief secretary when it was informed about lack of interest in the polio meetings by DCs, DHOs and DPOs. The government would not tolerate laxity on the part of relevant officials in the upcoming vaccination drive and those showing poor performance would face disciplinary action, said the warning.

Official sources told Dawn that the meeting was attended by Abid Majeed, additional chief secretary home and tribal affairs, health secretary, commissioners and DCs. It reviewed compliance of the decisions taken during the last meeting of the task force wherein numerous shortcomings were pointed out, they added.

The chief secretary ordered that next meeting to be held in first week of October would review the September campaign and officials showing weak performance would face action. The meeting was informed that the campaign was scheduled in 27 districts on September 9 whereas in Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat and Tank it would be launched on September 23.

Chief secretary takes serious notice of absence of DCs, DPOs and DHOs from meetings

The chief secretary said that it was the responsibility of commissioners, DCs, DPOs and DHOs to fully focus on the campaign in line with the government’s commitment to do away with the crippling virus.

One day, he said, global funding to polio programme would come to a halt. “It is a blessing in disguise that we utilise the available resources in better way to achieve the desired results of wiping out the childhood ailment,” he added.

He also expressed concerns over fake finger marking during the campaigns and instructed that DCs must ensure correct data regarding coverage and take action against those involved in fake data. “Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) must ensure affective vaccination at Pak-Afghan border,” he added.

The chief secretary showed deep concerns over uptick positive environmental samples and called for quality campaigns to ensure that the province stay free from virus. “As far the virus remains in sewerage water, the children are unsafe,” he added.

The meeting was informed that two per cent (38) of the 308 environmental samples tested positive for poliovirus in Peshawar, Kohat, Swat, Lakki Marwat, Swabi, Karak and Dir Lower.

During the last four campaigns, North Waziristan and Peshawar failed to achieve three indicators including lot quality assessment survey (LQAS), post campaign monitoring (PCM) and intra-campaign monitoring (ICM) whereas Lakki Marwat, Tank, South Waziristan Lower, South Waziristan Upper, Battagram, Hangu and Kohat didn’t meet two indicators.

The chief secretary showed concerns over difference in administrative and field data and over-reporting of coverage and negligible reporting of refusals.

The meeting was told that deputy commissioner of South Waziristan Lower did not chair the meeting of district polio eradication committee (DPEC) for September and the DHO did not attend the meeting in Hangu.

No police representative turned up at DEPC meeting in Khyber whereas DPOs did not personally attend respective meetings in Abbottabad, Kohistan Lower, Karak, Hangu, Orakzai, Kurram, Malakand, Dir Lower, Dir Upper, Chitral Upper, Bajaur, Mardan, Peshawar, Mohmand, Nowshera and South Waziristan Lower.

The meeting was informed that district administrations and polio programme staff lacked motivation in Peshawar where the continuous presence of virus in sewerage water was because of the influx of Afghan refugees and large number of refusals in the area.

There are serious security challenges in Khyber, particularly in Tirah, which will affect the quality of campaign. Request for support of law enforcement agencies was sought for campaign in Hassankhel tehsil.

The Peshawar deputy commissioner informed the meeting that around 20,000 children were missed during every campaign.

He suggested that a three-day special campaign should be conducted in the district, after the September drive, to particularly target the missed children.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2024