SHANGLA: Vaccinators and supporting staff have pledged to maintain the region of polio-free by administering every child under the age of five with anti-polio drops, also demanded of the authorities concerned to pay their dues of the last 17 campaigns.
Speaking at an open kutchery here on Friday, union council polio eradication committee (UPEC) chairmen, village secretaries, and union council medical officers, police, demanded payment of arrears within a week.
A first ever Kuli Kutchery was arranged by the district administration Shangla at Polytechnic college, Lilonai Alpuri on Friday. DC Shangla, Imran Hussain Ranjha, ADC Maqbool Hussain, DPO Shangla, Malak Ihjaz, AC Alpuri, Wajid Ali, EPI coordinator Doctor Wajid Ali and officials of the line department were present, While the event was attended by Union Council Polio Eradication Committee UPEC Chairmen, Area supervisors, Lady Health Supervisors, Lady Health Workers, team members, WHO, and EPI officials from across the district.
They also said a 100 per cent female participation in the polio campaign was impossible in Shangla as there were no lady health workers in many union councils, where silent refusals prevailed.
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They urged the Shangla deputy commissioner to devise a plan to create awareness among the silent refusals in Kamach, Martung, Kabalgram and other areas where people were reluctant to get their children administered with anti-polio drops.
The lady health workers demanded assigning them polio duty in their catchment areas as per rules and payment of their allowances. They also urged the officials to provide them umbrellas as they had to perform duty during rain and snowfall.
Shangla district police officer Malak Ihjaz said special security arrangements had been made for the upcoming anti-polio campaign commencing from Feb 17 (Monday). He asked the vaccinators to refrain from refusing security during the campaign days.
Deputy commissioner Imran Hussain said the issue of pending dues would be taken up with the Malakand commissioner. He said he was happy at the overall polio eradication effort in the district, however, vaccinators’ performance in 11 union councils was poor, which he said needed to be improved in the next campaign.
The DC also ordered the WHO’s monitors to avoid harassing the teams and only focus on monitoring their performance.
