Polio Vaccination Team Assaulted in Punjab: Rising Dangers for Health Workers

A female polio vaccination team in Punjab was attacked, and their belongings, including polio vaccines and cash, were stolen by Cantonment Board Chaklala employees. The police have filed a complaint. This incident highlights the increasing risks faced by health workers in Pakistan's conflict-prone regions amid their polio eradication efforts.

A female polio vaccination team from Punjab's health department was assaulted and robbed of their polio vaccines and cash by a group from the Cantonment Board Chaklala, according to reports. The police have lodged a complaint against the alleged offenders based on the victim's statement, Dawn reported.

Khadija Bibi, who filed the FIR with Civil Lines police, stated that her team had been administering polio drops when the incident occurred. After completing their work, they returned to the Chaklala Cantonment Medical Center in Dehri Hassanabad. Bibi claimed that around 40 board employees forcibly entered a health team storage room, seizing items including polio vaccines, Rs15,000 in cash, and personal medicines, as reported by Dawn.

Bibi further alleged that upon entering the room to fetch medicine, she was physically assaulted by being slapped and pushed. The male staff accompanying her were also abused. Bibi has urged the police to take legal action against those responsible and to recover the stolen items, Dawn reported.

Polio eradication campaigns in Pakistan have long faced challenges, including attacks driven by religious and ideological opposition. Recent incidents reflect the dangerous environment for polio workers. On September 10, a remote-controlled bomb exploded near a police van in Wana Rustam Bazar, South Waziristan, injuring 13 people, including six police officers and seven civilians. The blast occurred while police secured an anti-polio campaign, highlighting persistent risks for these efforts.

The attack targeted a police vehicle protecting polio workers, illustrating the volatility faced by security personnel and health workers in conflict-prone areas. The campaign aimed to vaccinate around 70,000 children in the district, deploying 480 police officers to ensure the safety of 297 polio teams.

The rising frequency of attacks on polio workers over the past decade underscores the ongoing dangers in Pakistan's north-western regions, plagued by security and ideological opposition to vaccination efforts, ANI reported.

(With inputs from agencies.)