The scheduled national immunisation days (NIDs) had to be postponed in districts Korangi, Malir and East of Karachi Monday morning due to non availability of needed security cover for the polio workers’ teams.
Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI- Sindh) officials said that the NIDs otherwise marked their smooth beginning in all other parts of the province and would continue till Wednesday, hopefully without any hindrance.
As for other districts in Karachi, they said 1,134 teams were formed in district central for administration of oral polio vaccine to under-five kids, however, 661 teams reported amidst the presence of 257 cops, as the campaign commenced at around 10:30 am.
As many as 1,037 teams were formed for South district of the cosmopolitan while only 506 reported and commenced the campaign with a police cover of 104 cops at 9:30 am.
In West district, 1,305 teams of polio workers were formed while 838 reportedly were provided with security cover by 664 police-men and 144 rangers.
In the UCs three, four, seven and 56 of Baldia Town vaccinators could not be deployed due to non-availability of security cover, they said.
Whereas polio workers in UCs 6, 7 and 9 of Liaqutabad Town in central district administered oral polio vaccine drops to children without any police cover.
The security cover was also not available for the workers at UC 2 and UC 8 in North Karachi town of the same district.
Under normal circumstances 2.26 million under five children of Karachi could have been vaccinated by 6,000 polio teams.
EPI-Sindh, in close coordination with Karachi administration and other concerned agencies, had successfully undertaken special immunisation campaign in 11 high risk union councils of Karachi from December five to seven.
“On Monday we are in catching-up process to cover those who missed during past four days for any reason,” Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui said. He confirmed that the NIDs have been postponed in three districts of Karachi on request of the Police Department.
Siddiqui said Sindh Police IG has been approached to expedite formation of special police force, with a minimum strength of 700, for protection of polio workers in Karachi.
The special police force to provide mandatory security cover to polio vaccinators is being formed on the directives of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
