RAWALPINDI– More than 300 vaccinators in Rawalpindi, hired to carry on health campaigns funded by international institutions, have threatened to boycott the upcoming anti-polio campaign for not getting their payments.
All the preparations of the anti-polio campaign to be held from April 15 throughout the country have been made but the vaccinators and LHVs of Rawalpindi district have announced to boycott the campaign if the Health Department did not pay them the arrears.
The vaccinators said that their talks with the officials of the health department and representatives of other organisations including teachers associations have been completed. They said that teacher associations have favoured their demands and announced to participate in the boycott to show solidarity with them.
They said that protest demonstrations will also be organised in the welfare week regarding the mother and child health to be held during the current month. A letter to the donor international organisation apprising them about their problems has also been prepared, the vaccinators said. Allied Health Organization Rawalpindi Chairman, Naeem Mehmood Chaudhry said that though boycotting the campaign against the disease like polio was not appropriate but this was the only way of protest.
When contacted, District Officer (Health) Rawalpindi Dr Khalid Randhawa said that there was no issue of arrears. He said that the employees were making fuss just to avoid the work.