LAHORE: Chief Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Ms Uzma Kardar has called upon parents travelling into Punjab to reciprocate to government’s gesture of goodwill by cooperating with polio teams deployed at entry and exit transit points of Punjab so that their children could get protection against the crippling virus which is spreading across the country.
The CMFP said this while visiting Lahore’s four key transit points on Tuesday where polio teams have been deployed considering the movement of population from polio hotspots.
She was joined by the polio eradication partners and Lahore District Health Officer Dr Zahid Munir.
During her maiden field mission, the CMFP visited Railway Station, Badami Bagh bus stand, Niazi Adda and Lahore Allama Iqbal International Airport.
Ms Kardar acknowledged the hard work of polio teams but expressed her desire to strengthen transit points by working closely with bus companies and bus station owners as per Punjab Chief Minister Ms Mariam Nawaz Sharif’s vision.
During her visit she interacted with polio teams and inquired after their challenges.
She also vaccinated a child who had arrived with his parents from Karachi.
She advocated with parents and travelers gathered at the transit points awaiting to catch their bus to vaccinate their children while on the move.
She reiterated government’s strong commitment to eradicate polio, saying polio teams faced toughest challenges at the polio transit points.
“Children either moving out of Punjab or travelling to the province are at heightened risk of being infected with polio. It is therefore mandatory that parents vaccinate their children and reciprocate government’s goodwill gesture to provide free of cost vaccination by cooperating with polio teams”, stressed the CMFP.
Ms Kardar indicated that government planned to take tough measures to ensure all children are vaccinated at transit points.
The CMFP urged the bus companies to make regular announcements at the bus stations, urging parents to vaccinate their children before embarking on the travel.
She also called upon the companies to abide by laws and give up practice of dropping off travelers away from bus stations as this practice was hampering the eradication of polio.
“As the bus drivers drop off travelers away from bus stations, the polio teams deployed at the transit points are unable to vaccinate children, thus contributing to the virus spread”, Ms Kardar explained.
The CMFP pledged to beef up the security of polio teams at all transit points so that all workers are able to perform duties efficiently.
