KARACHI, Feb 21: Although Rangers and police are likely to accompany health workers as a four-day anti-polio campaign begins in Landhi’s union council No 1 on Friday, there is a feeling of uneasiness among them.

Two vaccinators were shot dead in the UC in December last and two other anti-polio workers were killed in Baldia and Orangi the same day.

Landhi town is part of district east where the government will launch the anti-polio drive in high-risk areas, including some union councils of Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Korangi. The two other high-risk union councils of Landhi would be covered later.

“We are keeping our fingers crossed. Many volunteers had left us after the incident, but some more have joined the campaign. The union council has the most volatile law and order situation as it has also witnessed incidents of bomb blasts,” said a medical officer of the union council.

According to the health official, over 15,000 under-five children would be vaccinated against polio during the drive which was initially planned on Thursday but could not be begun due to lack of support from law enforcers.

“More than 170 people, comprising volunteers and government employees, are taking part in the drive and we have been assured that personnel of Rangers and police would accompany the teams tomorrow (Friday),” he said.

Among the volunteers is also Gulnaz Shirazi whose two relatives, Madiha and Fehmida, working as vaccinators in the anti-polio drive, were shot dead last year.

“We must not be stopped by these brutal acts. I believe that these drops can save lives and we must continue this mission,” she said, adding that the other reason for participating in the campaign was financial.

Sharing concerns of her colleagues, Ms Shirazi complained that health workers’ families were facing hardship as the government had not yet paid their dues pending since last year.

When contacted, a health department official explained that payments to anti-polio workers were directly made by the United Nations Children's Fund and the amounts would be released in a week.

Giving details of the anti-polio campaign being carried out in the city, Dr Aslam Pervaiz, district officer preventive, said the drive (sub-national immunisation days) was initially planned from Feb 14 to 23 in 55 UCs of 12 towns.

“Though the drive suffered because of the adverse law and order situation in the city and couldn’t take off in some areas on time, we have achieved 80 to 90 per cent target in districts central and west. The drive had been continuing since Feb 14 in different areas,” he said.

According to Dr Pervaiz, a number of UCs in Keamari, Baldia, Gadap, Orangi, SITE, and Saddar had been covered during the drive which was started in Gulberg town on Wednesday. High-risk UCs of North Nazimabad, Liaquatabad and North Karachi were being attended to today.