Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori on Monday inaugurated the five-day anti-polio campaign by administering polio drops to children up to five years of age at Governor House. DG HEC Nauman Ahsan, DC South Altaf Sario, Assistant Commissioner President Zara Zahid and parents of the children were also present on the occasion. Governor Sindh said that all stakeholders should ensure all kinds of cooperation to make the polio campaign a success and play their role in vaccinating as many children as possible.
He said that polio is a deadly disease that cripples’ children for life, it is the responsibility of all of us to make this campaign of polio vaccination successful to protect our children from a deadly disease like polio. A five-day polio campaign has started across Sindh. Teams comprising more than 80 thousand polio workers will go door to door to administer the vaccine to over 10 million children of up-to 5 years of age in 30 districts of the province.
Meanwhile, the Sindh chief secretary has also directed the health department to ensure that children are administered polio drops at all railway stations and bus terminals as well. Polio teams will also be available at bus stops, railway stations, Afghan refugee camps and other public places to ensure vaccination of every child. On Monday, the Inspector General of Police in Sindh, Riffat Mukhtar Raja, has issued crucial directives to bolster security measures within the province for a week-long anti-polio campaign that commenced on Monday.
The IGP ordered that it is imperative that all security protocols for the polio drive are rigorously implemented, particularly at the grassroots level within police stations. Efforts must be made to establish a comprehensive security cover, employing inner and outer cordons to safeguard the polio teams operating in potentially sensitive union councils. Special responsibilities should be entrusted to police commandos across all identified sensitive union councils, complemented by the deployment of plainclothes personnel alongside relevant law enforcement units.