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Policeman escorting polio workers, shot dead in Karak

Policeman escorting polio workers, shot dead in Karak
January 12, 2021

KARAK (92 News) - A police personnel accompanying the Anti-polio team embraced martyrdom after unidentified gunmen opened fire on them in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Takht-e-Nasrati area of Karak district today.

According to the reports, the martyred policeman was providing security to a team of polio health workers, who remain unharmed. Police have cordoned off the area and started search operation to arrest the culprits.

KP Inspector General of Police Sanaullah Abbasi also took notice of the incident and said that the official's killers will be caught soon. He further said that security was being provided to polio workers and added: "The martyrdom of police [official] is proof that security is being provided."

On the other hand, a five-day national anti-polio drive started to vaccinate over 40 million children under the age of five across Pakistan.

A supplementary dose of Vitamin A drops will also be administered to children during this campaign to help build general immunity among susceptible children to protect them from polio and other diseases.

According to Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme, around 285,000 polio frontline workers will visit parents and caregivers at their doorstep, adhering to strict COVID-19 precautionary measures and protocols while vaccinating children.

In a statement, Prime Minister's Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan said the government is committed to achieve the goal of a polio-free Pakistan which requires full support of the nation, especially from communities, the parents and caregivers of children.

Pakistan is one of the two polio-endemic countries in the world along with its neighbour Afghanistan. In Punjab, 48,000 polio teams have been formed, who will be provided proper security cover during the campaign.

According to a spokesman of the Punjab Health Department, over 20 million children will be vaccinated throughout the province during the campaign. He said that polio workers have been properly trained to follow Corona related SOPs, conveyed by the World Health Organization.

In Sindh, nine million children under the age of five years will be administered polio drops across the province.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, over 29,000 teams have been constituted which will ensure administering anti-polio vaccine to each and every child.

According to Emergency Operation Center, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, more than seven million children up-to five years of age will be administered anti-polio drops during the campaign.

Polio teams will also be available at bus stops, railway stations, Afghan refugees camps and public places for administering anti polio drops. Tight security measures have been taken for security of polio teams.