KARACHI - A large number of lawmen guarded 5000 health workers participating in the third phase of anti-polio vaccination drive in 24 sensitive’ union councils of the metropolis on Sunday.
During the campaign, Sindh government imposed eight-hour ban on the use of motorcycles in the sensitive councils, where 500,000 children were targeted for polio vaccination.
As per notification issued by the Sindh government’s home department, motorcycle riding was banned in 24 union councils under Section-144 for eight hours until the immunisation campaign came to an end at 5pm on Sunday. The notification added that health workers would be covered by police and Rangers in all the areas.
Three polio workers have so far been gunned down by extremists in the metropolis. Deputy Project Manager of Expended Programme on Immunisation Sindh, Dr Duray Naaz, told The Nation that amid tight security measures, Sindh Health Department launched the anti-polio drive under aegis of in 24 Union Councils of Saddar Town, Landhi Town, SITE Town, Gulshan Town, Baldia Town, Gadap Town, Orangi Town, Gulberg Town, Bin Qasim Town, where thousands of Police and Rangers personnel were deployed to handle any untoward situation.
Dr Naaz said that the drive was completed peacefully owing to security measures. She said that during the one day campaign almost 500,000 children were administered with polio drops, “the 24 UCs included Gadap Town’s UC-4 Gujro, UC-5 Snowgul and UC-8 Manghopir; Gulshan-e-Iqbal’s UC-10 Pahalwan Goth, UC-11 Metroville, UC-12 Gulzar Hijri and UC-13 Safoora Goth; Baldia Town’s UC-1 Gulshan-e-Ghazi, UC-2 Ittehad Town, UC-3 Islamnagar and UC-4 Naalabadi; Orangi Town’s UC-1 Mominabad, UC-13 Baloch Goth and UC-2 Haryana Colony; Site Town’s UC-7 Banaras, UC-8 Qasba Colony and UC-9 Islamia Colony; Bin Qasim’s UC-2 Rehri Goth, UC-3 Bhains Colony and UC-4 Quaidabad; Landhi Town’s UC-1 Muzaffarabad and UC-2 Muslimabad; Saddar Town’s UC-9 Civil Lines; and, Gulberg Town’s UC-8 Shafiq Mahal.
She said that the campaign is also being launched in other parts of the province in association with World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF.
“The anti-polio vaccination drive was launched in 24 Union Councils of the metropolis under aegis of Expended Program on Immunization (EPI), Sindh. The one day campaign in 24 UC of the some important towns were once again held. A three-day NID anti-polio campaign has already been completed across the province during February 2014 to administer around 7.9 million children under the ages of five years.