Anti-polio campaign: Security measures taken to protect workers

RAWALPINDI:

In response to attacks on workers conducting anti-polio drives in different parts of the country, the City District Government and the police have made arrangements to ensure protection to the workers during the three-day anti-polio campaign that started here on Tuesday.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zafar said that one armed police official has been deputed along each of the 90 anti-polio teams imparting duties in high risk areas were Pashton community is in majority — these include union councils one to 10 of Pirwadhai and surrounding areas.

Moreover, police patrolling has been increased in low-risk areas such as Gujar Khan, Kalar Seydan, Kahuta and Murree, he added. The DCO appealed to the people to cooperate with the campaign workers to eliminate the menace of polio from the district.

The anti-polio campaign has been launched in the district with 1,000 two-member teams aiming to inoculate 700,000 children aged below 5 years against polio.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2012.