KARAK: Following successful negotiations between the administration officials and local government representatives from union council Jandri, anti-polio campaign was resumed in the area here the other day.

The elected representatives of the union council had boycotted the anti-polio campaign in the area to record their protest against the shortage of doctors and other facilities in the rural health centre (RHC), Jandri.

Assistant commissioner, Karak, Hafiz Ataul Munim and district health officer Rasool Jan held negotiations with the tehsil councillor from UC Jandri, Taj Nawaz, and other members here.

The local councillors told the administration officials that RHC in the area was without doctors and the people, particularly women of the area, had been facing shortage of healthcare facilities. They demanded that doctors and facilities, including medicines, X-ray machine and other equipments, should be provided to the hospital.

In response to their demands, the DHO said that there was shortage of staff in health centres in the entire district. He added that in district headquarters hospital alone posts of 115 doctors were lying vacant since long. He said that he had informed the provincial government about the shortage of doctors and facilities in hospitals of the district, including the RHC Jandri. He regretted that he was not authorised to post medical officers of BPS-18 in the rural areas.

He assured the councillors that medicines would be provided to the health centre on monthly basis to resolve needs of the people. He said that other equipment would also be provided to the RHC.

On this occasion, the AC said that protests would not solve any problem, adding that boycott of polio campaign was a crime. He said that if any child was handicapped the entire society would be responsible for it. He assured the local councillors that he would resolve those problems of the people which come under his authority. On the assurance of the DHO and AC, the local councillors ended boycott of the anti-polio campaign.

Published in Dawn, October 13th , 2015

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