High-Performing Polio Workers Honoured in Rawalpindi
A ceremony was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Rawalpindi on Saturday to honour high-performing polio workers and recognise their contributions to the eradication campaign. The event was attended by Member of the National Assembly Tahira Aurangzeb, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Asma Naz Abbasi, members of the provincial assembly, Chief Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Uzma Kardar, Head of the Punjab Polio Eradication Programme, CEO Health and senior officials of the district administration.
During the ceremony, assembly members and programme officials also administered polio vaccine drops to children, reaffirming their commitment to the ongoing eradication campaign.
Speeches and Commitments:
Tahira Aurangzeb praised polio workers as national heroes who perform door-to-door duties under challenging weather conditions. She stated that harassment or mistreatment of polio teams would not be tolerated and directed law enforcement agencies to take strict legal action against those obstructing or targeting vaccination workers. She highlighted the successful results achieved through their dedicated efforts, noting that environmental samples across Punjab had remained negative. However, she cautioned that continued population movement posed a risk of reintroducing the virus.
Uzma Kardar emphasised targeted measures being taken under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to eliminate the virus. She mentioned a positive environmental sample detected in Rawalpindi in July, genetically traced to a family that had migrated from Afghanistan. Kardar added that medical experts were engaged to address public concerns, counter misinformation, and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
Awards and Recognition:
The best-performing members of the polio eradication teams were presented with awards and certificates of commendation for their services.
Upcoming Campaign:
The next anti-polio campaign across Punjab is scheduled to begin on September 21.