QUETTA: Lady health workers refused to take part in the ongoing emergency vaccination campaign in Quetta on Wednesday after four of their colleagues were killed in an attack.

Hafiz Haleem Shah, leader of a health workers’ union, said around 850 lady health workers had been involved in the emergency vaccination campaign, but they were not willing to carry on working.

He said Wednesday’s attack had taken place because the health workers had not been provided security.

“In this worsening situation it is not possible to take part in the campaign,” Mr Shah said, adding that at least eight polio and health workers had been killed during the past two years in Balochistan.

He called for an investigation to ascertain why security personnel were not escorting the health workers’ team.

According to AFP, Mr Shah said: “We are in contact with the government. We have said that we won’t participate in the campaign until we are provided security. The government provides security for one day and if nothing bad happens, they take the security back.”

Published in Dawn, November 27th , 2014