New polio cases: Govt takes notice of negligence of officials in Bajaur, 11 employees issued notices

PESHAWAR: After emergence of new polio cases, the government on Sunday took notice of the alleged failure and negligence of officials of the health department and staff members of national and international organisations and sought explanation within three days.

The additional deputy commissioner of Bajaurtribal district issued a notification in which 11 officials of the health department and other national and international organisations were accused of poor performance and negligence that reportedly caused emergence of polio cases in the militancy-hit Bajaur.

The office of the undersigned has come to know that you all have been poor performers during polio campaign in Tall union council. This act of negligence has adversely affected all efforts against polio eradication as obvious from the recent polio cases in the area. You all are directed to explain your positions within three days positively that why not disciplinary action should be initiated against you all, the additional deputy commissioner of Bajuardistrict said in a notice issued to the 11 employees.

Those served with show-cause notices include Anwar Shah, DHT, Khan Wazir, EPI technician, Hamad, DT-AIC, Abdul Hanan, MT/AIC, Aizaz, PTC education/AIC, Ziaur Rahman C-IV/VET -AIC, Ziaur Rahman, TCSP, Idrees, UCPO, Fazal Rahman, UCCSO, Taj Mohammad, SMS and Sajjad Ahmad, SMS.

According to senior government officials in Peshawar, the district administration took notice of frequent polio cases reported from Bajaurand the alleged negligence of staff engaged in efforts against polio. Another reason thatreportedly embarrassed the senior officials is that the staff in Bajaur allegedly kept the authorities in the dark about refusal cases in Tall union council and other areas of Salarzaisubdivision against polio immunisation.

Also, the officials said the staff in Bajaur tried to mention the two latest polio cases in the previous year which in fact were reported in the first week of January 2019.

However, according to government officials in Peshawar, the district administration of Bajaurwas equally responsible for the failure and negligence as deputy commissioner is overall head of the polio programme.

The officials said the district administration tried to cover up its failure and put the responsibility on low ranked employees. Also, they argued that all the polio cases were caused due to polio virus circulating in the area where people don t have access to toilets and use spring water for drinking purposes. It is the failure of the local administration as it couldn t provide clean drinking water to the local people so they would not rely on spring water which is reportedly contaminated and not fit for drinking, said the official in Peshawar on condition of anonymity.

He said humans and animals were still drinking water from the same ponds in Bajaur. He alleged that millions of rupees had been misused in the name of polio eradication and the outcome was zero as fake teams were shown in papers just to claim bills. He said never in the past the government or other authorities concerned bothered to check if polio teams really visited all the villages in the erstwhile Fata.