SHANGLA: Polio workers in Shangla have complained about denial of dues and said the provincial government had yet to pay them for duty during the last five vaccination campaigns in the rugged district.

They claimed credit for the district being polio-free since March 2012 and warned the provincial government’s failure to pay them could put local children at the risk of being handicapped by the virus.

Polio worker Mohammad Abid from far-flung Matung locality in the district told Dawn that the vaccination target set for the district was achieved 100 per cent.

“We administered polio drops to 155,963 children in Shangla during the last two vaccination campaigns, one carried out on November 18 and the other on November 27,” he said.

The polio worker said the government had to pay him Rs16,450 for five vaccination campaigns against polio and measles.

“I’m so depressed that I don’t want to waste more time on anti-polio campaigns. The government’s indifference to the misery of the family of late Mohammad Qasim, a vaccinator, has let me down,” he said.

Warn non-payment threatens health of children

Mohammad Qasim, the sole breadwinner of his family, had died when a huge boulder fell on him during an anti-polio campaign in the district.

Supervisor of polio workers in Matung union council Umar Hayat regretted that the provincial government had paid him just Rs25,500 for participating in two anti-polio and measles campaigns.

He said in the past, polio workers were paid at the end of vaccination day but currently, they were being asked to open bank account to receive meagre payment.

The supervisor said he failed to understand the rationale behind a vaccinator opening a bank account to get Rs1,000 only.

He said district polio monitoring team and union council polio eradication committee currently worked in Shangla.

“Vaccinators are getting dues from the World Health Organisation on time but the provincial government is denying payment to them. This is unfortunate,” he said.

The supervisor said during the last five vaccination campaigns, the provincial government had not paid its share to polio workers.

“The government has to pay from Rs10,000 to Rs20,000 to every polio worker,” another vaccinator said, adding that no worker had received payment for measles campaign yet.

District coordinator of polio vaccination Dr Mohammad Wajid told Dawn that in the past, the district health officer’s office used to pay polio workers but recently, the government changed the procedure of payment.

“Now, the money is transferred to the vaccinator’s bank account, so opening a bank account is a must for the payment.

“We understand the procedure is difficult but we are bound to follow the government’s policy,” he said.

When contacted, deputy commissioner Shangla Saadat Khan said the administration had got the due money for payment to polio workers.

“Payment will be made to vaccinators in line with the government’s policy,” he said.

The deputy commissioner said the case of the grant of financial assistance to late Mohammad Abid’s family had been forwarded to the relevant government department and that action on the case was likely to happen soon.

Published in Dawn December 3rd , 2014