Polio positive: Vaccinators protest disciplinary action

RAHIM YAR KHAN:

Dozens of vaccinators held a demonstration on Monday in front of the DCO Office to protest the sacking of two of their colleagues, ending the contract of a doctor and withholding the promotion of a deputy district health officer by the Health Department.

Members of the Punjab Vaccinators’ Welfare Federation told reporters that disciplinary action had been taken against these people after an eight-month old girl from Chowk Saweetra tested positive for polio.

They said that firing of Vaccinator Inspectors Mohammad Jahangir and Mohammad Murad and ending the contract of Dr Rizwan, who used to work at the basic health unit, would compromise the campaign against polio.

They claimed that according to their records, the baby girl was administered the polio vaccine six times. DCO Nabeel Javed assured the protesters that he would write to the Health Department, requesting that it review its decisions.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2013.