Hundreds of vaccinators on Friday staged a protest demonstration against the district health officer for his alleged indifference towards their complaints.
The protestors staged a sit-in at the Zila Council Chowk and demanded that DHO Muhammad Nawaz be ‘immediately transferred.’ They also threatened to boycott the anti measles drive scheduled to start from June 24 if their demand was not met within four days.
Muhammad Naveed, one of the protesters, said that “We are working wholeheartedly to make the vaccination campaigns a success…but the DHO’s indifferent attitude has discouraged us from participating in future campaigns.” He said the vaccinators had not been paid their allowances. Naveed said, “Any vaccinator who visits the DHO’s office with a complaint, is humiliated and threatened with sacking.” Naveed said the vaccinators who were close to the DCO were being deputed in the cities. The rest, he said, were being sent to far-flung places “without proper security or transport facilities.”
The protest was called off when EDO Abdur Rauf visited the protestors and assured them that the matter would be resolved soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 8th, 2013.