Quetta: In an intensive stride towards eradicating polio, a critical meeting was convened on Wednesday led by Chief Secretary Balochistan, Shakeel Qadir Khan. The meeting, which involved high-ranking officials and international representatives, centered on assessing past efforts and planning future campaigns to eliminate polio in the region.

According to Directorate General Public Relation – Govt of Balochistan, the session saw the participation of Commissioner Quetta Hamza Shafaqat, Provincial Coordinator EOC Inamul Haq, and representatives from the World Health Organization, Yun Saif among other international entities. Various Bilateral Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners joined the meeting through a video link. The Chief Secretary issued a stern directive during the meeting, mandating the immediate dismissal of any health department employees failing to perform their duties in the polio eradication campaign. He emphasized that negligence in the campaign would not be tolerated.

Further directives were issued for Deputy Commissioners to personally oversee the anti-polio efforts in their respective districts to ensure the campaign’s uninterrupted execution. Shakeel Qadir Khan highlighted the implementation of the National Action Plan aimed at completely removing polio from the province, urging all employees to actively contribute and prioritize this critical task.

The meeting also led to a decision to restructure the teams at the Union Council level to enhance the campaign’s effectiveness. Additionally, the Chief Secretary instructed the DG Health to prepare and submit a report on the performance of lady health visitors and workers involved in the campaign.

The directives issued in the meeting underline the provincial government’s commitment to a polio-free Balochistan, recognizing the eradication effort as a collective responsibility.