Administration polio cell in-charge Mohammad Kashif informed that the decision to delay the drive was taken due to the unavailability of security personnel to escort the polio teams during the campaign. PHOTO: AFP
An anti-polio drive scheduled to begin in the Islamabad from Monday has been postponed due to a shortage of security personnel to protect vaccinators. Most security officials have been reassigned to guard the Pakistan Day parade.
National Emergency Operation Cell (NEOC) In-charge Dr Rana Safdar told The Express Tribune that the Islamabad portion of the nationwide anti-polio drive scheduled to begin on March 16 will be moved to March 30.
Elaborating on the decision, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration polio cell in-charge Mohammad Kashif informed that the decision to delay the drive was taken due to the unavailability of security personnel to escort the polio teams during the campaign.
“The decision to delay the drive was taken on Friday, keeping the overall security situation in mind,” he said.
Arrangements to carry out the vaccination campaign were complete, but the drive has been delayed for a week, he said.
A senior official working closely with polio eradication programme said on the condition of anonymity that coverage in the second anti-polio drive in the capital was unsatisfactory, and the government cannot risk polio teams being left unable to access areas near the parade ground.
“Pakistan cannot afford to miss a single child under the age of five…during the third anti-polio drive, major focus will be placed on reaching previously missed children,” said the official.
Meanwhile, the drive in Rawalpindi will begin on March 24, according to officials at the Rawalpindi health department.
“It is impossible to carry out a polio campaign without the requisite security personnel to protect the polio teams,” said a Rawalpindi health department official on the condition of anonymity.
“There are some areas the polio team cannot access due to the ongoing parade activities and Pakistan cannot afford to miss any child under the age of five,” said the official.
According to the Prime Minister’s Polio Cell the third nation-wide polio campaign would be conducted in 36 districts of Punjab, 25 districts of K-P, 22 districts and 18 towns of Sindh, 30 districts of Balochistan, 10 districts of AJK, seven districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, seven agencies and six frontier regions of FATA and two districts of Islamabad Capital Territory.
A total of 35.5 million children below the age of five years will be vaccinated during the drive and will also be given vitamin A drops.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2015.
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