Health worker attacked during HPV vaccination drive in Punjab

Ghulam Sughra was part of a mobile vaccination team visiting a government girls’ school in Mandi Bahauddin

LAHORE:

A health worker was assaulted while administering the Human Papillomavirus vaccine at a government girls’ school in Chak 38, Kuthiala Sheikhan area of Mandi Bahauddin district.

According to the FIR filed at Kuthiala Sheikhan Police Station, the worker, Ghulam Sughra, was part of a mobile vaccination team visiting the school under Punjab’s ongoing HPV immunisation campaign.

She alleged that a local woman, Parveen, along with several accomplices, grabbed, punched, and verbally abused her, disrupting the vaccination process.

Police have registered a case under Sections 186 (obstructing a public servant) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code against Parveen and 15 others. No arrests have yet been made, though investigators said efforts are underway to identify all suspects and record witness statements.

 

District Health Officer Dr Muhammad Javed confirmed that the campaign would continue as planned, with additional security for field teams. “Our workers are public servants delivering a life-saving vaccine. We will not allow intimidation to derail this essential work,” he said.

Launched earlier this year with support from the World Health Organization and UNICEF, Punjab’s HPV vaccination drive inoculates adolescent girls to prevent cervical cancer.

Officials acknowledged that resistance has occasionally surfaced in rural areas, driven largely by misinformation. Medical associations have urged stronger community engagement and enhanced protection for frontline workers.

Punjab Minister for Health and Population Welfare Khawaja Imran Nazir strongly condemned the incident, saying: “Lady health workers are our sisters and daughters. Their humiliation will never be tolerated. I stand with all our LHWs who are at the frontline of this noble mission.”

The minister warned that those involved would face strict punishment, and said he had directed the District Police Officer to ensure immediate arrests. Appealing to the public, he added: “Do not fall for false propaganda. This vaccine is a guarantee of a safe and healthy future for our daughters.”

The provincial health department has also sought a detailed report from the CEO Health Mandi Bahauddin, while police efforts to apprehend the suspects are underway.