Teams deployed to curb polio resurgence
Policemen accompany polio workers at a neighbourhood in Karachi during the special vaccination drive launched on Monday. Photo: jalal qureshi/express
The authorities in Punjab have deployed hundreds of polio teams at important transit points ahead of Eidul Fitr to curb poliovirus resurgence in major cities.
The Eid transit points deployment plan, approved by Punjab Emergency Operations Centre Coordinator Khizer Afzaal, has been set in motion after environmental samples from the region tested positive . The detected poliovirus clusters have been linked to active virus in Afghanistan and other polio hotspots in Pakistan.
Punjab has tested 76 environmental samples this year, of which eight have tested positive, raising fears that poliovirus might spread in cities, putting children at risk.
The Punjab government has deployed nearly 300 teams at 30 bus terminals, eight railway stations, 24 hospitals, 20 amusement parks and 10 shopping malls.
Vaccination at all the sites will continue till April 20 without a break during the Eid holidays.
“The decision to set special transit points has been taken to ensure that virus does not return to the province or find its way through Punjab to other provinces,”confirmed Khizer Afzaal.
The districts where the special transit points have been set up are Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Okara, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Gujrat.
The sites are in addition to the 23 permanent ones already functioning.
Beggary
Meanwhile, the City Traffic Police Lahore (CTPL) have deployed three buses for taking away beggars swarming the major markets on the eve of the Eid.
The buses will remain deputed during the crackdown at the Mall Road, Liberty Market and Karim Block.
Four squads of police have also been formed for the purpose.
Professional beggars swarm the markets and main roads in unusual numbers during festive occasions like Chand Raat and Eid. Owing to the poverty and inflation, an unprecedentedly high number of beggars is being observed in Lahore this year.
The city government, district and traffic police along with the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau have been conducting raids to apprehend the beggars.
Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Ammara Athar said the traffic police had registered 173 cases against professional beggars in Ramazan.
Over 4,000 children and aged people were released after warning.
The beggars are removed from traffic signals and cases are registered against those cheating the citizens by posing as physically challenged.
The official appealed the citizens also to discourage such elements as they created hindrance in traffic flow.
CCPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana said 766 cases of beggary have been registered this year, leading to the arrest of 759 people. Of the arrests, 208 were made in the City Police Division, 54 in Cantonment Division, 111 in Civil Lines Division, 167 in Saddar Division, 80 in Iqbal Town and 139 in Model Town.
Kamyana emphasised that groups involved in begging, including those exploiting children and women, do not deserve any leniency. He ordered a crackdown on handlers of beggars and urged swift action against those exploiting children for begging.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 9th, 2024.