The officials and staff involved in the government's Extended Programme on Immunisation are not getting salary for the past two months. EPI sources said.

Of the 191 EPI officials and staff, 114 are posted at its headquarters in Dhaka and the rest are in districts.

"We have not received our salary since July and we had similar experience last year as well. There is no assurance from the government till now as to when it would disburse our salary. We are suffering badly," one official told this correspondent. • V

In this connection, another official pointed out that on completion of the five-year Fourth Population and Health Project (FPHP) in June last year, all its projects cametander the Health and Population Sector Programme (HPSP).

"The operation plans (OPs) under HPSP have not yet been approved. Without OPs. funds for salary cannot be released from the finance ministry. It is not only EPl. a number of other development projects In the health sector are also hit by this problem,” he said.

EPI is a development project funded by the government and donor agencies including the World Bank. Launched on the World Health Day on April 7.

1979. it is considered a ’ successful preventive healthcare. programme'. EPI manpower is also utilised on National Immunisation Days (NIDs), Sub-NIDs and for disease Surveillance of flaccid paralysis, measles and neonatal tetanus, he added.

To solve the problem faced by EPI officials and staff, a high-powered team had recommended bringing all of them under revenue budget, instead of development budget. The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) also endorsed it.

When contacted, high officials of the health ministry said since EPI's fourth phase is up to the year 2000, the transfer could not take place despite ECNEC’s approval.

"When the fourth phase is over, EPI manpower and those of other development projects facing similar problems can be transferred," one official said,

EPI vaccination covers polio. measles, tetanus, diphtne-ria. partussis and Bacillus Carlmat Guirine (BCG).

The donors for EPI Include Unicef, Japanese government, WHO, USAID, Rotary. International, S1DA, C1DA, DFID, US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, SDC and Australian International Development Bureau.