Attack on workers: Polio campaign halted in Faisalabad

LAHORE:

The three-day polio campaign was halted in Faisalabad on Tuesday by the district administration. The decision was taken after the murder of a teacher who was working as polio worker in Faisalabad.

Afterwards, the Health Department asked all 36 district administrations to decide on whether or not to postpone the three day polio campaign.

“None of the districts have informed the department so far of delaying the campaign except, Faisalabad,” said Health Extended Immunisation Programme Director Dr Munir Ahmad.

The Faisalabad administration informed the department of halting the polio campaign, citing talks with teachers who have announced to boycott the campaign in the district.

Khawaja Salman Rafique, the adviser to chief minister on health, and Faisalabad DCO Noorul Amin Mengal on Tuesday visited the house of the slain polio worker.

They announced a Rs1 million compensation for the family of the deceased.

Punjab Teachers’ Union general secretary Rana Liaqat Ali said. “It (the murder) is an act of terrorism. However, the administration is trying to portray it as personal enmity.”

He said the union was considering boycotting the campaign in the province. “A decision regarding whether or not to boycott the campaign in the province will be made on Wednesday,” he said. Ali said that the government should have provided better security to the polio teams.

“If at all, teachers are to be involved in such campaigns, the government should ensure their security. We do not want a battalion of gunmen guarding us, but the government should at least order police to increase patrolling in an area where a polio campaign is going on,” he said.

The staff officer to the Lahore DCO told The Express Tribune that they had shared their polio campaign plan with the police. “Police have been directed to increase patrolling in the city,” he said.

He said that the administration had also decided to send constables along with polio teams to cover ‘refusal cases’ where polio workers were either told to come back later or where people did not cooperate with them.

“We have hired 85 Pashtu-speaking people to work with polio teams in areas where Pashtuns live. There is no threat to polio workers in Lahore. The polio campaign will continue,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2014.