PESHAWAR - The ‘Sehat Ka Insaf’, a special health campaign for creation of public awareness about nine childhood diseases and polio vaccination launched in Peshawar, under a tight security arrangements on Sunday.
“In the first phase, the campaign was carried out in 45 union councils of Peshawar, through which the campaigners reached out to 4,00,000 people to create awareness about childhood diseases and distributed hygiene kits more than 12,500,” claimed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Shaukat Yousafzai while briefing media persons at Civil Officer Mess.
For this purpose, he further said more than 1,952 health workers along with 981 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf volunteers took part in the special health drive. He said the campaign will be carried out every Sunday and Monday, during three months. A system was developed for distribution hygiene kits, by issuance of receipt through which easily provided at medical camp, will be set up today on Monday, at three-spot, including Shaheen Muslim Town-II, Sadozai Payyan, and Malkandeer areas of Peshawar. 
The minister said that there might be again outbreak of dengue disease in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, so it was essential to create awareness for its timely prevention.  He said that he visited door-to-door and created awareness about various diseases and thanked the people for cooperation and support for making the campaign successful.
The health drive, he said, was launched under a pilot project, which would be extended to other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, wherein the child and mother mortality ratio high and regarding various childhood diseases.
When asked about criticism by certain political circular, against the health campaign, the minister asked the opposition parties to join hand with government for this noble cause and fully eliminate childhood diseases from the province. He said the PTI-led provincial government was voted to power, with huge mandate of masses, and now it responsibility to give revolutionary steps health and other sectors for their welfare and better facilities.
Meanwhile, despite the bane on motorbikes and tight security arrangement several persons were seen in pillion riding with motorbikes, however they were not stopped by the police to fine them. Several teams were visiting various areas without appropriate security to due to shortage of police. Police were seen only in main squares and important entry points of town I and town II.
On the other hand, the primary teachers association set four-condition for participation in the Sehat Ka Insaf’ campaign, including provision of full proof security, compensation to the victim teachers, induction of member of victim family in government department and provision of vaccination services inside school premises. It is not the duty of teachers to immunise children and visit door-to-door, said Malik Khalid Khan, president All Primary Teacher Association, while talking to this scribe. He said the teachers’ participation also disturb the curriculum activities in the education institutions.
It is pertinent to mention that polio workers had been targeted across the country, including Peshawar and Karachi. Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world where polio is still endemic but efforts to stamp out the crippling disease have been hit by repeated attacks on health teams.