KARACHI, Jan 2: Offices of the Sindh health department and various public sector health care facilities were destroyed in the wake of widespread violence that erupted after the assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto on in Rawalpindi on Thursday last and continued on the following two days.

Talking to Dawn on Wednesday, Director-General of the health department Dr Hadi Bakhsh Jatoi said that a chain of cold storages meant for preservation of vaccines in Larkana was among the destroyed facilities. He said that the massive destruction has prompted the health department to postpone the special anti-polio campaign in certain districts, including Larkana and Kambar. The campaign was to cover these districts in the first half of this month.

“Not only that we will now need a fresh sizable consignment of vaccines, but we will have to mobilise the field staff, vaccinators and volunteers again, besides rescheduling the campaign programme,” he said.

Dr Jatoi has been gathering information from EDOs (Health). In the light of initial reports, and his talks with health officials, he said that the damage was substantial and health offices and institutions needed to be compensated in order to revive the operation.

Dr Jatoi said that communication system meant for coordination among the EDOs’ offices in 20 districts had been destroyed and extensive damage to computers and official records reported.

At least 16 vehicles, 25 computers and 30 microscopes, as well as office records, had been set on fire or destroyed by rioters at the directorate of DG health, Hyderabad, which also houses directorates of TB and malaria control and the coordination office of the hepatitis control programme.

According to Mr Jatoi, rioters also ransacked and torched the Services Hospital, Hyderabad. Some unused ambulances parked at the hospital were damaged and taken away.

“Restoration of the telecommunication system on a priority basis is necessary to revitalise the EDOs’ offices,” said Mr Jatoi.