KARACHI: According to the provincial government it is now mandatory for all residents in Sindh, especially those hailing from Karachi’s 11 high-risk union councils, to immunize children against Polio – officials also stated that any form of resistance from opponents will be dealt with accordingly.
According to Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, all areas where polio teams have previously faced resistance must be surrounded by authorities to ensure administration of Polio drops/vaccines to each and every child. Mr Shah stated officials can use force to immunize children in areas where resistance is encountered by inoculation teams.
The Chief Minister expressed his disappointment over the failure of Polio teams and the emergence of 23 new cases of the crippling disease. Sindh alone contributed 27 out of over 275 cases reported in Pakistan – the country’s worst ever statistics since 1999. Mr Shah has reportedly requested Additional IG, Ghulam Qadir Thebo to designate personnel especially for security purposes of on-field Polio immunization teams.
Dr Azra Pechuho, Pakistan Peoples Party MNA and Chairman Polio Oversight Committee, revealed that the last rounds of immunization campaigns were not completed owing to lack of security. She also stated that the establishment of an Emergency Operation Cell is currently underway to address the issue more efficiently.