471 arrested for refusing to administer polio drops in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: At least 471 people were arrested here on Monday when they refused the administration of polio drops to children.

Arrest warrants have also been issued for 1,000 people who did not allow the drops to be administered.

A two day drive was held in Peshawar to administer polio drops and vaccinations against nine other diseases.

Strict security arrangements were in place and section 144 had been imposed in the city.

Despite all the security measures taken, the administration of polio drops was difficult for teams as they faced resistance from parents and others.

On February 13, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan announced that the provincial government, army and the federal government were jointly conducting ‘Sehat ka Ittehad’ program in the region, a health drive aiming to eradicate the polio virus that has destroyed the lives of children.

The PTI chairman further said that children residing at the border were not vaccinated and since the province had accommodated 2.2 million temporarily dislocated persons (TDPs), 0.3 million out which were children; majority of the children were not immunised.