ISLAMABAD: Surfacing of the new polio cases could not dampen the courage and resolve of the polio teams who could be seen visiting door-to-door in the federal capital but the non-provision of salaries and lack of incentives is fast becoming a problem for the dedicated anti-polio campaign staff, Pakistan Today has reliably learnt.
The team at various transit points set up at major arteries of the federal capital mainly at Subzi Mandi, Faizabad and Baharakhu are doing two to three shifts duties so as to vaccinate the maximum number of children.
A shift in-charge wishing anonymity told Pakistan Today that they are doing their duty diligently and that 400 to 600 children are vaccinated daily at various transit points, but the polio team lacks official cards, caps and jackets for identification due to which they are facing numerous problems.
“The workers deployed at transit points alongside security check posts are facing problems from security officials, who often complain of their identity, but despite repeated request for provision of the basic necessitates, the high-ups of Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) paid no heed in this regard,” the shift in-charge lamented.
Another senior polio official said that they are neither provided with umbrellas nor tables at transit points, which are necessary while administering polio drops to the children.
The official further criticised the ministry and stated that a massive amount of money is being spent on arranging foreign tours of the high-ups of the ministry and holding seminars but they didn’t have money to pay to the polio workers.
“The workers have not been paid their salaries for the last four months and the government still claims of defeating polio by using all means available,” he rued.
He went on to state that an unprecedented practice of paying the polio workers’ salaries in instalments has begun which is not beneficial for the employees.
Despite repeated attempts, Secretary Health Naveed Kamran Baloch could not be reached for comments on the issue.
However, when contacted, Ministry of Health spokesperson Sajid Hussain Shah told Pakistan Today that the government is doing the utmost for polio eradication and that the same could be judged from the remarkable decline in polio cases throughout the country.
However, when questioned about the non-payment of salaries, he said that the issue would be resolved soon.
Similarly, on the issue of non-provision of identification cards, caps, jackets and umbrellas due to which the anti-polio staff was facing difficulties, the spokesperson said that it was a good suggestion and that serious consideration would be given to it.
However, according to sources privy to Pakistan Today, polio eradication can only be possible with the dedication of the permanent staff, as presently daily wagers were recruited who were given only a few days training.
The sources further add that there is need to appoint experts with each anti-polio team as the polio vaccine could prove counter-productive for children born with low immune power and that ordinary staff lacked the expertise to judge a child’s health during door-to-door vaccination.
With polio at the lowest levels in history in Pakistan, the country is about to launch an all-out assault on the disease in 2018.
According to the detail obtained from the Health ministry, a drastic decline has been witnessed in polio cases, as in 2014 there were 306 polio cases, 55 in 2015, 16 in 2016 and only six polio cases reported in 2017.