Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: Local Government representatives on Wednesday threatened that they would give a boycott call on polio vaccination in district Khyber if health officials did not restore the 151 polio workers within this week.
Speaking to a joint press conference held here in Landikotal press club, village council chairman Haji Khan Shinwari, village council chairman Haji Sher Khan Afridi, neighbourhood council chairman Naveed Khan and village council chairman Yaad Wazir Shinwari said that 151 polio workers were serving as polio vaccinators in Landikotal, Jamrud and Bara tehsils in district Khyber since 2016. They said despite many challenges and threats to their lives they did not compromise on their services for humanity and successfully administered polio drops to each child in the past.
Naveed Khan said health officials must consider the outstanding performance of the polio workers who reached every household in far-flung areas of district Khyber to eliminate the polio virus from Pakistan.
He said since 2018 a single polio case was not reported in Landikotal which was the achievement of polio staff.
Haji Sher Afridi said without any prior notice all the polio communications department staff was terminated all at once. He said the sacked polio employees were hired on a contractual basis in 2016 in various positions. He said as per the contract they had been working till December 31, 2023.
Haji Khan said the polio eradication unit had advertised to fill the vacant posts but still had to recruit new staff. He said morally and ethically it was the right of those who served for 11 years in militancy suffered areas of district Khyber.
The local government representatives appealed from the polio emergency operation centre, Unicef, World Health Organisation, deputy commissioner Khyber, corps commander Peshawar and governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to restore the polio communication staff as it was done in district Kuream and Balochistan province.
They threatened that if the polio staff was not reinstated within a week they they would be compelled to stop lobbing and advocating for polio in society and would give a boycott call from polio vaccination in district Khyber.
This scribe contacted an ex-polio officer he said that the contracts of all polio communication department employees from the tehsil to the provincial level had expired on December 31, 2023. He said the posts were later advertised and open for all including those who served as polio workers to appear in tests and interviews. He said those capable could qualify for the test and interview and would give equal opportunity to all to participate.
