Doctors, paramedics urged to remain aloof from polio drive

From G Mursalin Marwat

LAKKI MARWAT: Local leaders of the Pakistan Doctors Association have asked the doctors, paramedics and health workers to boycott anti polio campaign schedule to start from toady in protest against law enforcement agencies’ failure to recover kidnapped physical Dr Falak Naz.

“Despite lapse of over three months Dr Falak Naz, a surgeon in Lakki city hospital is untraceable”, PDA’s president Dr Abdul Razzaq and general secretary Dr Ibrahim Iqbal told on Sunday.

In a joint press statement the PDA leaders told that the association had called off boycotting the polio eradication campaign last month when local health authorities assured that they would take up the kidnapping issue of Dr Falak Naz with local administration and other quarters concerned.

They said the doctors, paramedics and health employees should now boycott the anti-polio drive from today as the abducted doctor could not be recovered so far.

They said that district headquarters hospital could not be made fully functional due to negligence and slackness on part of health officials and local politicians.

Now some politicians, they alleged, were trying to stop the up-gradation of Lakki city hospital.

They said that the DHQ hospital could not be made fully functional at the cost of closing the city hospital or changing its status.

They also condemned area police for maltreatment with the medical superintendent of city hospital Dr Ghulam Ali, demanding of the authorities concerned of police department to initiate disciplinary action against the responsible officials and ensure safety of doctors.