PESHAWAR - The immunisation campaign of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department continued for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in seven districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Talking to The Nation, EPI Deputy Director Dr Kaleemullah said the Health Department postponed the immunisation campaign in Lakki Marwat, Charsadda, Bannu and Malakand districts due to the boycott of Leady Health Workers (LHWs) in these areas. He also confirmed that preparations in Peshawar were not completed and the campaign would take place on some other day.
Kalimullah said the programme would not be cancelled in Dera Ismail Khan, Lower Dir, Hangu, Tank, Karak, Kohat and Mardan districts. He said that 1.4 million children have already been vaccinated.  The LHWs have decided to boycott the campaign, as their salaries have not been released for the last three months. Peshawar District Supervisor Ayesha Hassan told The Nation that they would not start vaccinating children till their salaries were paid.
She said that most of 16,300 workers belong to poor families and their livelihood depends on their salaries. "How can we take care of other people's children when our own are dying of poverty and hunger," she asked.
She said that two employees of AG office are involved in blocking of their salaries. She said that these two persons are workers of PTI and they have gone to Islamabad for participating in the 'Azadi March'.
She said that health department and AG office are making delaying tactics in issuing their salaries due to which one of the lady health workers was ousted from his rented home by the owner.