THATTA: Representa­tives of international organisations working for the eradication of polio have urged the Sindh government to immediately raise the number of volunteers, particularly women, to help restart the second round of anti-poliomyelitis campaign in four coastal districts of lower Sindh from Nov 24.

At a high-profile meeting held here on Friday, representatives of World Health Organization, Unicef, regional adviser of Global Polio Eradication Initiative Christopher Mahar, GPEI Pakistan team leader Abdul Rehman, GPEI Sindh team leader Dr Sharifan Akhtar, adviser Provincial Emergency Operation Centre (PEOC) Sindh Tom Grein and PEOC coordinator Fayaz Ahmed Jatoi discussed negligence of authorities concerned with regard to refusal of parents to have their children vaccinated against polio in three union councils and emergence of a recent polio case in Sujawal district.

The deputy commissioners and DHOs of Thatta, Sujawal, Badin and Tando Muhammad Khan and other officials concerned also attended the meeting.

They contended that since Karachi was believed to be the virus pocket in this area the second round of polio campaign must be carried out under strict vigilance.

Hyderabad divisional commissioner Qazi Shahid Pervaiz who presided over the meeting admitted before a press conference afterwards to the emergence of a polio case in Sujawal district recently and said the government had taken serious notice of the negligence that led to resurgence of the crippling disease.

He said that he had directed all the DHOs and DCs concerned to avoid sending to the organisations concerned misleading data, facts and figures about the disease, otherwise, he warned, they would have to face stern action.

He emphasised creation of a congenial and coordinative atmosphere between revenue staff, security, health department and field workers so as to meet targets of the anti- polio campaign in lower Sindh.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2016