Polio team assaulted in Muzaffargarh

Dozens of villagers attack vaccination team members.

MULTAN: Members of a polio-vaccination team were beaten up by dozens of villagers near Muzaffargarh on Wednesday.

It was the last day of the polio campaign in the province.

Muhammad Shahid, his wife Memoona, Ghulam Akbar and Abida Sultan were administering polio drops to the village children in Shah Jamal.

Memoona and Abida, both lady health workers, went inside homes to administer the drops and Shahid and Akbar stayed outside for paperwork.

“Memoona went into the house belonging to a villager, Mian Jahangir Maqwal, and Shahid was standing outside the house. Maqwal accused Shahid of peeping into his house. He called his cousin Jehandaad and other neighbours. They severely beat Shahid, Memoona, Akbar and Abida. They also tore the polio team members’ clothes,” police said.

A case has been registered against two named and eight unknown suspects in Shah Jamal police on the complaint of Memoona.

Muzaffargarh Health Executive District Officer Dr Athar told The Express Tribune that male health workers were never allowed to enter homes. “This team has been working in anti-polio drives for three years. There has been no such complaint against them before,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2014.