Officials say those receiving high salaries aren't serious about the cause.
Health official claims that polio has become a source of income for high officials in the govt and other organisations. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
The country's failure to eradicate the crippling poliovirus can be attributed in part to militancy and conservative mindsets but in recent days another sinister reason has been uncovered: sluggishness of highly-paid officials who would otherwise be out of favour in a polio-free Pakistan.
Pakistan is one of the three countries where polio is still endemic. Last year 93 cases were reported across the country, while there have been 59 cases so far this year – all but five from the tribal regions and parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The World Health Organisation on Monday recommended global travel restrictions for Pakistan for its failure to eradicate the virus.
The head of the Lady Health Workers' Association in Peshawar, Ayesha Hassan, tells The Express Tribune that the government is not in a rush to reverse the gloomy picture as it brings a silver lining in the form of funds from the World Bank and other international organisations.
"High-level officers working for polio receive salaries in millions [of rupees] while poor, under-threat polio workers who visit door-to-door get only Rs600 per campaign," she said.
She lamented that there is lethargy in battling the debilitating disease at every level. "The higher-up officials do not want to eliminate polio from the country, because they do not want to stop their work and [deprive themselves of] huge salaries. Poor workers do not take their work seriously due to the low monetary incentives," she said.
The All Primary Teachers Association Provincial president, Malik Khalid Khan, said that the government lacks a pragmatic mechanism for polio eradication. "A teacher's job is to teach students – not vaccinate children in the streets," he said. He added that if the government were serious about fighting the disease and stigma, it would increase the amounts paid to health workers and instruct them to fulfill their duty.
However, according to a K-P Health Department official, from 2012 to 2014 Pakistan received $249.64 million in loans from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and other countries for the eradication of polio virus. Out of this, $46 million was allocated specifically to K-P.
Another health official requesting anonymity said that polio has become a 'source of income' for high officials in the government and other international organisations.
Under the Augmented Emergency Polio Eradication Plan implemented in January 2012, six polio monitoring cells including four Chief Minister Polio Monitoring Cells; one Prime Minister Polio Monitoring Cell and one Technical Polio Monitoring Cell for FATA have been formed, with staff that gets paid salaried in thousands dollars.
He said that despite the massive sums being poured into salaries, there are 'zero achievements' by polio monitoring cells. This year is already looking to take the lead in the highest number of reported cases in a decade.
He also blamed Unicef for hiring hundreds of people for its 'communication network' which is tasked with decreasing the refusal rate. The strategy itself has backfired as refusal cases have doubled.
When asked to comment on these allegations, the director of the National Health Services Regulation and Coordination Mazhar Nisar said, "These are all false statements. If polio is eradicated, there are other diseases such as measles which will be given attention in terms of campaigns. People working for polio will be employed there and get paid the same amount."
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2014.
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Source : http://tribune.com.pk/story/705194/lining-pockets-lethargic-approach-blamed-for-spread-of-polio/
