War against polio: Injured health worker dies after 11 days in coma

Sumbal, 18, had been working as a volunteer for the past one year.

PESHAWAR: On Friday morning, Sumbal, a polio worker critically injured in an attack on her team nearly two weeks ago, passed away. Her death comes a day after ulema from various Islamic countries finally declared killing polio workers un-Islamic.

On May 28, unidentified persons opened fire on a team conducting an anti-polio drive in Gagawala village of Badhaber, killing 20-year-old Sharafata Bibi and critically injuring 18-year-old Sumbal.

A student of grade eight, Sumbal had been working as a volunteer during vaccination campaigns for the past one year. She earned Rs500 for each campaign.

In the attack she sustained a bullet wound in the neck and was admitted to the intensive care unit of the neurosurgery ward of Lady Reading Hospital (LRH). She had lost a lot of blood and had been in coma since being admitted to the hospital.

Sumbal had nine sisters and a brother who is serving in the police department while her father Gul Khan is a police employee as well.



Amir, the deceased’s cousin, told The Express Tribune she had been placed on a ventilator because of her condition. Her father had been told by LRH doctors to be mentally prepared as she was too critical.

Talking to The Express Tribune on May 29, Gul had said: “We did not tell our daughter to take part in vaccination campaigns. She was very inspired by her elder sister who works for the health department as a lady health visitor.  Sumbal wanted to eradicate polio from the area.”

Sumbal’s elder sister expressed similar sentiments saying she would not discontinue her vaccination work despite what happened to Sumbal.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization and US business magnate Bill Gates have approached Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, whose party is ruling the province, to seek his help in eradicating polio from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Timeline of attacks in K-P on vaccinators and police escorting teams

December 18, 2012

Farzana, a police officer escorting a vaccination team, was shot dead by unidentified persons on Pajagi Road, Peshawar

December 19, 2012

Hilal, a vaccination team member, was shot by two unidentified gunmen riding a motorcycle in Daudzai, Peshawar

December 19, 2012

Zakai and her driver Ayaz, members of a polio team were shot dead in Trakha village, Shabqadar tehsil, Charsadda

January 28, 2013

A policeman escorting a polio team was shot dead by unidentified people in Swabi district

February 26, 2013

A policeman escorting a polio team was shot by unidentified men in Ghala Dher village, Mardan

April 10,  2013

Two policemen escorting a polio team were shot by unidentified gunmen in Mardan district

May 28,   2013

One polio worker was killed and another critically injured in firing by unidentified men in Gagawala village, Badhaber, Peshawar

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2013.