Health worker assaulted in Mandi Bahauddin during cervical cancer vaccination campaign

• FIR registered under PPC Sections 186 and 506.
• Worker attacked during HPV vaccination drive at school.
• Assailant Parveen identified as main attacker, says FIR.
  

A lady health worker (LHW) was assaulted during a cervical cancer prevention campaign in Mandi Bahauddin on Thursday, prompting swift action from authorities and the registration of a criminal case.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the incident occurred at an elementary school in Chak No 38, where LHW Ghulam Sughra was administering the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to girls.

Sughra said that a woman identified as Parveen, accompanied by several others, attacked her, throwing her to the ground, punching her, and hurling abusive language. Other women also joined in the assault.

Police confirmed that an FIR has been lodged at the Kuthiala Sheikhan Police Station under Section 186 of the Pakistan Penal Code (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation).

Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazeer took notice of the attack, ordering a report from the district health officer and directing the district police officer to take immediate action.

“Lady health workers are our sisters and daughters. Violence against them will not be tolerated under any circumstances. An FIR has already been registered, and those involved will be brought to justice,” he said in a statement on X. The minister added that LHWs across all districts will be provided security.

The incident took place amid the nationwide HPV vaccination drive, which began on September 15 and continues until September 27 across Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the first phase. The vaccine targets the prevention of cervical cancer, one of the most common and preventable cancers among women.

The programme, however, faces resistance due to misinformation and misconceptions surrounding the HPV vaccine. Experts argue that Pakistan must urgently revisit its vaccination strategy, involving social mobilisation experts, healthcare professionals and community leaders to counter propaganda and build trust. Without it, they warn, millions of girls will remain at risk of a preventable disease.

Federal Health Minister Dr Mustafa Kamal, in an effort to dispel doubts, publicly got his daughter vaccinated during the campaign to reassure parents about its safety.