THATTA, March 8: Twenty-six lady health workers tendered their resignations here on Monday on the International Women's Day to protest against the publication of defamatory reports in some newspapers.

Mirpur Bathoro Taluka Hospital medical superintendent Dr Aziz Taherani told this correspondent that the hospital staff had arranged a farewell party in honour of an outgoing medical officer, Dr Abdul Qudoos, which was attended, besides others, by the LHWs who were working under the hospital.

He said some local periodicals and dailies misreported the event as a fashion show and a late-night Valentine's Day, giving a wrong impression of the activities of working women.

Acknowledging the facts, EDO (health) Dr Hafeez Memon said such attempts could only create complications in a conservative society where parents were already reluctant to have their daughters educated.

He said the health department was facing great difficulty in making alternate arrangements for the three-day door-to-door polio campaign to be held from Tuesday.

POLIO DRIVE: Sixteen separate walks were held here on Monday to create awareness among parents to have their children administered polio drops during the three-day campaign to be initiated from Tuesday.

EDO (health) Dr Hafeez Memon said the United Nations Children's Fund, World Health Organization authorities as well as officers of nation building departments would monitor the campaign to achieve the target of inoculation of 240,903 children under the age of five for which 14,500 vials would be used.

The drive would involve 516 mobile teams, 77 centres and 23 transit points, he said and added that the district Nazim had provided 29 vehicles for the campaign.