Health worker misbehaved with AC, was not arrested: official

BOONI: The district administration of Upper Chitral did not arrest a health worker at a function held to recognize and commend the services of frontline health providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, an official of the administration told ChitralToday requesting not to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media on record.

He said that on Saturday the AC distributed commendation certificates among health officials and workers whose lists had been prepared and provided to the administration by the district health officer (DHO).

He said during the function when the names of the health workers were being called for the certificates, Mr Ibadullah, a medical technician and president of the paramedical association, stood up and used foul language against the AC and threatened to hold a press conference against the administration for ignoring him.

The official said in order to maintain decorum of the event, Ibadullah was called to the office of the AC and informed that his name was not excluded from the list but had been missed during the announcement of the names. He was then handed over his certificate, and the matter was resolved amicably.

The official said neither an FIR was registered against the health worker nor any other departmental action taken against him even though he had acted against the official decorum and culture of Chitral for no fault of the district administration.

It may be noted that people present at the function claimed that the senor health worker was arrested on the direction of the AC after he raised objection for not giving him an award.

The DHO later said Ibadullah had been in the forefront and ignoring his service and then arresting him was disappointing.  The DHO also said he would take up the matter with higher authorities.