Polio drive: Two or three cops to escort workers

GUJRANWALA: As many as 1,500 teams of voluntary vaccinators will immunise children across the district in the oncoming polio vaccination drive, Executive District Officer (Health) Dr Azhar Masood Bhatti said on Thursday.  He said each team will be accompanied by two to three policemen. Talking to reporters at his office, the EDO said the security plan for the year’s first polio drive had been finalised. Polio workers will be escorted by police officials. He said he had met District Coordination Officer Syed Najam Ahmed Shah to discuss the security and immunisation plan. He said children will be immunised in two phases. The first phase will begin on February 4 and end on February 9. The second phase will be continued from February 11 to February 16. “Nothing is more important than children’s health. We have told the workers to continue their work without any fear and not to worry about threatening calls and letters.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2013.