Volunteers to be paid through cheques

Jalandhar, September 19

Taking cognisance of the report published in Jalandhar Tribune on September 18 pertaining to cash payments disbursed for running the National Pulse Polio Immunisation programme in the district, Civil Surgeon Dr Raghubir Singh Randhawa today directed the District Immunisation Officer to make all payments through cheques.

From now onwards, the payments will be credited directly into the accounts of the student volunteers who would move from door to door and not to their college authorities. A volunteer is paid Rs 75 a day for administering polio drops to children below five years of age.

“Also, I have directed the District Immunisation Officer to submit me a detailed report on the immunisation boxes found abandoned by the Tribune team and also to identify the place and carry out a special polio drive to administer the polio drops to children who were left out by our teams,” said Dr Randhawa.

He also said that if found guilty, strict action would be taken against Guru Nanak Nursing Training Institute whose students have alleged the non-payment of daily stipend by the college authorities. Meanwhile, the health department has claimed to have administered polio drops to over 29,897 children. The department claimed to have covered over 13,7868 children in the last three days.

Dr Randhawa said that after The Tribune highlighted the laxity, the District Immunisation Officer Tarsem Singh, along with senior officials and medical officers himself, moved in the areas to scrutinise the programme. Apart from conducting surprise checks at various locations in the city, the teams also visited slums and other neglected areas in rural areas as well. — TNS