On Wednesday, General Qamar Javed Bajwa Chief of the Army Staff held a telephonic conversation with Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to discuss Pakistan’s polio eradication program.
According to the official statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Gates lauded Pakistan Army’s indispensable role during polio campaigns across the country.
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The phone call was in the backdrop of the polio eradication drives in Pakistan. Bill Gates appreciated the Pakistan Army’s help in enabling the campaigns through the provision of security, monitoring, and bridging of capacity gaps.
In response to the admiration, General Bajwa said that it is a part of our national duty to make Pakistan a polio-free country.
While highlighting the key role of healthcare workers, General Bajwa said that healthcare workers who carry out polio eradication drives are now fighting against the COVID-19 outbreak at the front lines as well.
Despite the outbreak Pakistan Army has assisted the government to make preparations to restart the anti-polio campaign in the coming weeks, General Bajwa added.
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General Bajwa and Gates agreed to increase collaborative efforts to increase the resilience of the population through education, flexible healthcare management, and the use of technology to deal with future pandemics.
Towards the end, General Bajwa expressed gratitude to Bill Gates for the efforts of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation directed towards polio eradication in Pakistan. Pakistan Army will continue to support every initiative of the Gates Foundation aimed at the betterment of the people of Pakistan.
Someone from the lower ranks should have taken this call. The position of army chief should not be belittled by talking to every Tom, Bill, Dick and Harry who happened to have the chief’s number.