LAHORE: Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Raffique has said that Punjab government was striving hard to eradicate the menace of polio from the country.
He said this is not an easy task but political will at the highest level is required in the four provinces for the eradication of polio. Hard work and concentration is required rooting out polio.
He further said that Punjab government, under the directions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, has taken concrete steps and is endeavouring hard to eradicate polio due to which despite having higher population than other three provinces only three polio cases out of total 212 cases, have been detected in Punjab.
He stated this while talking to the media after heading a polio awareness walk organized by Rotary Club Lahore here today. Besides the office bearers of Rotary Club, the foreign guests from Rotary International, representatives of civil society, and a large number of men and women and students of school health colleges participated enthusiastically in the walk. The participants were carrying play cards on which anti-polio slogan were mentioned. The students and other participants chanted slogans to end polio from the country. Responding to a question, Khawaja Salman Raffique said that there is no refusal case in Punjab but the few unpleasant incidents involving polio workers and citizens that took place are the result of intolerance and tension in the society.
He said that although the polio workers are serving the humanity and administering polio drops to the children of common man for their better health but some time residents become harsh with the polio teams even only knocking the door.
He mentioned that Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has also taken strict notice of the incident in Lohari Gate and directed the police officers to take action against the culprits and police has registered the case against the people involved in this particular case.
