SWABI: Following the killing of Dr Mohammad Yaqoob, the district coordinator of Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), the local administration is finding it difficult to fill the post as no one seems ready to accept the job keeping in view the threats the vaccinators are facing while carrying out immunisation campaigns in Swabi.

Relevant officials confided to Dawn on Friday that till date no one had expressed readiness to become the EPI district coordinator due to precarious security situation in the district.

Three days ago, the local police claimed to have arrested two persons in connection with the murder of Dr Yaqoob, who was killed on Nov 30.

A member of Malgari Doctoran, doctors’ wing of Awami National Party, said local doctors were not ready to fill the post.

He said anyone who assumed charge of EPI coordinator would be a target of militants opposed to polio vaccination.

District health officer Dr Niaz Mohammad told Dawn their focus was on running the anti-polio campaign in the district. He said a meeting would be called on Tuesday to evolve a mechanism to provide foolproof security to the vaccinators. He said Deputy Commissioner Matiullah Khan, health officials, DPO and paramedics would attend the meet.

To a question, he said obviously in the present circumstances no one was ready to become EPI district coordinator. He assured that providing security to health staff was their main concern.

Dr Murad, district president of Pakistan Medical Association, said the new EPI district coordinator would face serious security challenges.

However, an official in the district administration said EPI head would be nominated very soon because without him, it would be difficult to achieve the target set for the vaccination campaign.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2015