MIRANSHAH, JUNE 29, 2022 – On the directives of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Federal Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) Coordinator, Dr Shahzad Baig visited the family of the deceased polio worker hours after a firing incident at a security team that took the lives of two police constables and one polio worker in cross-firing.

“This is deeply sad for me, while I’m also amazed at the strength of our polio teams who continued the campaign despite this attack,” he said.

Dr Baig was speaking in Datta Khel after meeting the family of martyred polio worker Rashid Ullah. He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family, colleagues and the community. “Any such incident feels like a personal loss. We will do all it takes to reach the culprits and ensure that justice is served.”

The NEOC Coordinator was accompanied by national leadership of the Polio Programme, a local army commander, DPO and ADC. They offered fateha on behalf of the PM, Health Minister and staff of the Pakistan Polio Programme.

While addressing a local jirga, Dr Baig. said that the best way to pay homage is to continue the work that Rashid Ullah sacrificed his life for. “Polio is largely left in North Waziristan and if we can finish polio here, we can save all children of Pakistan from lifelong paralysis caused by this disease.”

He added that for the Polio Programme, the loss of police constables was as important and tragic. “When we are together for the polio campaign, we are together as one team,” he added.

The father of the deceased polio worker and Dr Baig administered polio drops to children in the village and resumed the campaign in the union council.

On direction of the Health Minister, all martyrs’ families will be given Rs10 lac for financial support.