Anti-polio campaigns postponed again in high-risk areas of Balochistan

Earlier in February, a majority of police were engaged in providing security to PM and other VIPs in Quetta

QUETTA: Anti-polio campaigns, which were to be held in the Quetta, Zhob and Shirani districts of Balochistan on Monday, have been postponed once again due to a lack of security guards available to guard vaccinators.

In Quetta, the same anti-polio campaign was postponed in mid-February, as a majority of the police were engaged in providing security to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other VIPs who had visited Quetta.

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According to an official of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) Balochistan, anti-polio drives could not be initiated in three high-risk districts -- Quetta, Qila Abdullah and Shirani -- while anti-polio campaigns are under way in five other districts -- Jhal Magsi, Jaffarabad, Nasirabad and Pishin.

“There was no security personnel available to guard the anti-polio vaccinators, which is why we had to postpone the campaign,” an official said.

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According to sources, security personnel and police were deployed for the security of politicians and senior government officials.

The Quetta district was divided in two zones, and a campaign was launched in one zone a month ago. However, an anti-polio campaign was postponed in another zone twice due to the lack of availability of security forces.