Disease eradication: Anti-polio drive to kick off without LHWs

The four-day campaign is scheduled to commence on October 24.

SWAT: Like other parts of the country, an anti-polio campaign will be conducted in Swat Valley, which will begin on October 24 and continue for four days.

This is the first time that the campaign will take place without the participation of lady health workers (LHWs), who have decided to boycott the drive as a mark of protest against the non-payment of their salaries for the past four months.

It has been estimated that 382,000 children in 65 union councils across the valley will be vaccinated during the campaign. “We have decided to boycott the vaccination campaign. Last year we participated in the campaign but were not paid anything,” said Ruqayya, an LHW.

“This is simply unfair. We work for the whole day during these campaigns, visiting house after house but we get nothing in the end. How can we keep our kitchens running in such a situation?” said Zarina, a widow and a mother of four, in a distressed voice.

The LHWs in Swat have staged protests and also observed a sit-in outside the DCO’s office to make themselves heard, but they are yet to receive any positive response from the authorities.

The health executive district officer said, “We are in contact with the LHWs and are trying our best to solve their issues.” He added that the LHWs would be adversely affected if they boycotted the anti-polio campaign.

Meanwhile, the three-day polio campaign in Malakand District has been postponed following the refusal of 513 LHWs to perform their duties.

“It is strange that we are not getting paid, even when we have performed our duties sincerely. On the other hand, the officers are receiving a huge amount of money,” said an LHW on the condition of anonymity.

According to Malakand DCO Abdul Jabbar Shah, the anti-polio campaign will be conducted with the help of schoolteachers, for which the dates will be announced soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2011.