SHANGLA: Medical technicians and lady health workers (LHWs) are playing key role in the fight against coronavirus and so far two such health workers have been infected with Covid-19 in the district.

Malakand division is the second region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after Peshawar where the highest number of coronavirus cases emerged. According to Shangla health department, 327 LHWs have been visiting door to door for recording details of symptomatic patients and people with a travel history.

Sources said that 113 technicians of EPI and 11 workers of malaria programme had been engaged at different places to screen people, including those coming from other provinces and abroad, at different points of entry, isolation units, quarantine centres, etc.

Officials in the local health department said that the EPI technicians had been engaged in activities to check Covid-19 to contact and trace the people having symptoms of the virus.

They said the EPI and malaria programme technicians had also been taking samples of Covid-19 suspected patients by visiting the high altitude areas of the district.

Mian Mazhar Ali, an EPI technician, said they had been trying their best to fulfil their duties to protect people from the virus.

Shahida Begum, a lady health worker at Lilonai, told this scribe that they daily visited 10 houses and check symptomatic patients and people with a travel history and convey the record to the reporting officer.

“We have been providing guidance to women to adopt measures for keeping themselves safe from Covid-19,” she said.

Azeema Bibi, an LHW, said there were a large number of coal miners in her area where finding and reporting details about them was a hectic job.

Dr Abdul Samad, LHWs programme coordinator in Shangla, said that these public health workers were their unsung heroes, as they had been fulfilling their duties with dedication in these difficult times.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2020