Polio: ‘Mohmand Agency close to being polio free’

Health workers claim lack of payment for vaccination drives.

SHABQADAR:

Mohmand Agency may soon become polio free, claimed Agency Surgeon Dr Mohammad Dawood, adding that regular immunisation drives have been carried out in the area.

No polio cases have been reported in Mohmand so far this year. “Only a single case was reported last year as compared to the 14 and 10 in 2010 and 2011 respectively.”

The effort to permanently eradicate polio is also bolstered by residents’ cooperation with vaccination teams. A volunteer requesting anonymity explained there were no instances of locals refusing drops on religious grounds. “Sometimes people refuse in protest of not having provisions or government facilities, but the political administration takes action in such cases.”



According to Assistant Political Agent Jamshed Khan, threats do not exist for polio teams in Mohmand because they have been provided fool-proof security, with levies forces and local peace militias providing support.

However in Shabqadar, Lady Health Workers, requesting anonymity, claimed they were not being paid by the World Health Organization. They also alleged sums of Rs10,000 given to them for recreational purposes were being taken by the medical superintendent of tehsil headquarters hospital Shabqadar.  “We have not been paid wages for the last eight months,” claimed a worker. “We are taking all risks on ground without proper compensation. If we demand anything we are threatened with being fired so we keep quiet.”

The worker also said one of her colleagues was killed in December last year in Shabqadar, adding they still risk their lives in this field as they need the money. The workers demanded the provincial health minister take notice of the problems they are facing.



Last year, a lady health worker and her driver were killed by unidentified persons. Following this, others refused to conduct any campaigns. However, they later returned to fulfil their duties without any compensation.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2013.