DERA GHAZI KHAN: The anti-polio drive continued amid tight security on Monday after eight female health workers of urban union councils received anonymous threatening letters.

The letters warned health workers with dire consequences if they continued administering polio drops to children. The letters also threatened residents of the union councils.

District Police Officer retired Capt Atta Muhammad, District Coordination Officer Nadeemur Rehman and EDO (Health) Dr Munawar Abbas reportedly reached the houses of health workers and assured them that adequate security would be provided to them.

Dr Abbas said police and other sensitive agencies had reviewed the situation in the light of the anonymous letters and decided to continue the anti-polio drive under security cover.

He said at least 1,451 teams, including 1,304 mobile teams, were administering polio drops to children in the district.

He said reluctant female health workers had been replaced with those who were ready to perform the job fearlessly.

Syed Bihar Shah, the divisional head of Punjab police (special branch), said the matter was thoroughly being investigated.

Meanwhile, polio campaign in selected nine districts in Punjab started on Monday.

The three-day campaign will cover 411 union councils of Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh (except Kot Addu), Layyah (Layyah tehsil), Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan (Sadiqabad tehsil), Bhakkar (except Mankera tehsil), Mianwali, Rawalpindi (high risk union councils) and Multan (urban rural and Jalalpur Pirwala).

The campaign will target 3,049,713 children of below five years of age.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2016