KATHMANDU, March 5:  Polio vaccine administration program has been obstructed due to protest of health workers in various districts.

The program, which was not disturbed during the 10 years of insurgency, has been barricaded by the health workers themselves.

The health workers, affiliated with different six trade unions and the senior health assistants, who were promoted despite of their non-eligibility, after the second people revolution, are obstructing the program which is underway for two days starting from Saturday.

They padlocked the store of district public health office, warned the office head of physical assault, padlocked the office and protested in front of the office to disturb the program.

 Earlier, Health Minister Gagan Thapa had issued the notice, warning the protestors to call off their protest or to bear the consequences. He urged the local administration to use the security forces in case of need.

Minister Thapa stressed that to obstruct the polio vaccine is inhuman and is against the constitution and reiterated that to get the basic medical service is constitutional rights of every citizens.

Due to the obstruction, only four districts, having high risk of recurrence of the disease, including Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Kapilvastu and Bardiya, could operate the polio vaccine program on Saturday.  Remaining eleven districts could not run the program properly.

 The 2-day program, scheduled to take place on 4 and 5 March, is underway in 15 districts that would be beneficiary for 1.6 million children.  

 
• health assistant
 
• polio program