Health records surface at junk shop

Around 300 registers with records of vaccines administered by the Kallar Syedan health department surfaced at a junk recycling shop (kabari) in the neighbouring tehsil of Kahuta, it emerged on Saturday.

The health department maintains manual records of polio vaccines as well as others administered by its staff. Dr Ahsan Ghani, the relevant district health officer, said the deputy district health officer in Kallar Syedan, Farhat Abbas, had been tasked with the investigation. He claimed that it appeared to be a conspiracy to defame the health department of Rawalpindi.

Dr Ghani added that the incident would not make any difference in the existing anti-polio vaccine campaign. All departmental affairs will continue as usual, he emphasised.

The registers have since been seized from the scrap dealer by the department, while the record keeper was being questioned, sources said.

They said that an internal inquiry would be conducted in the first phase. If necessary, the scope of the inquiry would be widened and police action would be taken if serious negligence.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2023.