Vaccination campaign: Polio drive extended as targets missed

Polio workers in districts Korangi, Central and South were unable to achieve their targets due to lack of security

KARACHI:

The late arrival of security personnel forced the vaccination teams to restrict their working hours from eight to four, it emerged on Sunday.

Health officials revealed that due to security concerns, the vaccination teams had failed to achieve their targets in most areas. "It is the main reason for extending the campaign so that we can cover the remaining areas," a health official told The Express Tribune.

On Sunday, the sixth day of the polio campaign in the city, polio workers in districts Korangi, Central and South were unable to achieve their targets due to the lack of security arrangements. "Yes, the drive has been extended," confirmed the Extended Programme on Immunisation deputy project director for Sindh, Dr Durre Naz Jamal.

She explained that it was not possible for polio workers to go in some areas where their presence was risky. "The issue of provision of security personnel has been raised before top officials," she added.

The health department has already asked the provincial government to constitute a special force to accompany the polio teams. The issue of delay in setting up the force has been taken up with Sindh IG, said a health official. The IG has assured to resolve the issue as soon as possible, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2015.