Assault on polio worker, Jacobabad DC, SSP, DHO removed

KARACHI:

The Sindh Government has taken strict action following the reported negligence in the security and arrangements for polio workers in Jacobabad. As a result, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jacobabad, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jacobabad, and the District Health Officer (DHO) Jacobabad have been removed from their positions, a notification said on Monday.

In an official notification, the SSP Jacobabad has been directed to report to the Central Police Office (CPO), while the Deputy Commissioner Jacobabad has been instructed to report to the Services, General Administration, and Coordination Department (S&GAD). The District Health Officer has also been relieved of his duties due to the lapse in ensuring the safety of polio workers. The government remains committed to ensuring the safety of polio workers and will not tolerate any lapses in this regard.

Meanwhile, minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has taken notice of the rape incident which occurred with the Polio worker in Goth Allah Baksh Jakhrani, Jacobabad.

The minister has instructed the local police to provide security around the polio worker's current residence so that she feels secure. She has also spoken to the Chief Minister, requesting him to provide her with monetary compensation so that she does not face any difficulty in taking care of her children. "Our female Polio workers are the backbone of the Polio programme and protecting our workers has always been the utmost priority of the programme. I am taking every necessary action to ensure that she gets justice," she said.