Polio campaign: Doctors, paramedics raise their voice against Mohmand’s political admin

Threaten to protest outside Governor House if attitude towards them does not change.

GHALLANI: A large number of doctors and paramedics took to the streets of Ghallanai on Friday over alleged harassment at the hands of the political administration of Mohmand Agency.

Protesters gathered at the Mohmand Press Club and shouted slogans against the political administration and the assistant political agent of Upper Mohmand.

According to Dr Zareen, one of the doctors who led the protest, the political administration has been repeatedly harassing doctors and paramedics, forcing them to participate in upcoming polio drives in the region.

“We will continue to participate in polio campaigns just as we have done before,” he said. “However, the administration needs to change its behaviour towards us. Officials of the political administration have been very rude to doctors and paramedics and treat us like their slaves.”

Dr Anwar, who was among the organisers, told The Express Tribune the political administration has also allegedly abducted doctors and paramedics from their houses. “This is rather insulting as the administration has its own health officials,” he said.

Anwar accused the coordinator of Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in Mohmand Agency, Dr Shabir, of being hand-in-glove with the political administration. However, there is no official clarification regarding the EPI official’s involvement in this matter.

Addressing protesters at the press club, Jamaat-e-Islami Mohmand Agency amir Muhammad Saeed Khan urged political parties to join hands and protest against the political administration’s actions. He also threatened to protest outside the Governor House if the political administration does not change its attitude towards doctors and paramedics.

When contacted, health officials in Mohmand Agency said there is a shortage of polio workers to administer vaccines to children in the agency. They said they had approached political administration to resolve this matter. However, the political administration allegedly responded to their concerns by detaining doctors and teachers and forcing them to participate in polio drives. On Tuesday, 70 schoolteachers were detained for four hours while they were returning home after school.

According to health department officials, polio campaigns are scheduled to be held in Mohmand Agency from March 1.

“There is a shortage of more than 50 staffers in the agency,” he said. “If the administration fails to provide polio workers on time the campaign might have to be rescheduled and the administration will not want to risk this.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2015.