Ghulam Mursalin Marwat
LAKKI MARWAT: The forty one male and female teachers who have been relieved from district by deputy commissioner Jehangir Azam Wazir did not turn up to perform duty in last six polio eradication campaigns”, claimed an official of district administration. The official said that the administration had relieved the teachers for remaining absent from polio duty and not attending team training arranged by health department and its partner organisations.
“The health department with the support of local administration and other stakeholders run anti polio drive once in a month to eradicate the crippling disease and make district free from polio”, maintained the official, adding that the male and female heads of education department nominate teachers as required by health department to perform duty as area in charge and team member in anti polio drives. He claimed that during last six campaigns the teachers nominated by education department did not show up to perform duty in polio eradication campaigns besides they also remained absent from team training activities. He said that the matter was repeatedly raised in meetings of district polio eradication committee and authorities concerned were directed to improve situation but to no avail.
“Along with failing to ensure attendance of teachers in anti polio drives the education department authorities also did not take any appropriate action against them”, he added. The official said that the government had declared eradication of polio disease as national emergency but despite that the teachers willfully shirked assigned task. Referring to a confirm polio case which surfaced in Bhana Manjiwala locality recently, he said that lack of seriousness and disinterest on part of teachers to perform polio duty had left the administration with no option other than to relieve them from district.
