ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar told the Senate on Wednesday that a Rs124.7 million compensation had been paid to the families of polio workers and security personnel escorting polio teams killed in the line of duty.

She said that attacks on polio workers started in July 2012 and since then 44 health workers and 40 security personnel escorting polio teams had been killed.

In a written reply, the minister said that 53 polio teams had been attacked in different parts of the country since July 2012. Ten attacks took place in 2012, 15 in 2013, 20 in 2014 and eight in 2015. Eleven polio workers and security personnel were killed in 2012, 22 in 2013, 41 in 2014 and 10 in 2015.

She said that Rs32.4m had been paid to the families of victims belonging to Balochistan, Rs68.8m to those of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rs14m to those of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Rs8.5m to those of Sindh and Rs1m to those of Punjab.

In reply to a question, Ms Tarar said that the National TB Control Programme would ensure the provision of uninterrupted supply of free medicines to every registered TB patient in the country.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play