Chandel blocks face polio drop shortage
Source: The Sangai Express

Moreh, February 19, 2012: Contrary to the aim of pulse polio immunisation campaign for maximum coverage and free children from the scourge of polio disease, children of 17 villages under Khengjoy and Moreh blocks in Chandel district are unlikely to benefit from the campaign this year for there are no polio vaccines for these villages.

Agenda of the Government of India for a polio-free society will remain a far-fetched dream atleast for this year as only 61 booths have been sanctioned for Moreh, Tengnoupal and Khengjoy blocks of the district out of which polio drops were provided in 20 booths of Tengnoupal block with the remaining booths concentrated in villages of Moreh block.

The number of booths this year was also far less compared to 104 booths opened in Moreh and Tengnoupal blocks last year.

To discuss alleged callousness of the State's Family Welfare Department, the implementing body for the campaign, a meeting was held at Moreh Primary Health Centre which was attended by doctors and nearly 101 ASHAs.

The meeting convened prior to actual administering of the polio drops ultimately resolved to cover children with the available polio drop stock provided by the parent department.

Including the reserve stock of the PHC and those provided by the parent department, a total of 4148 children were covered, which exceeded the Department's target of 4075 children for the first day of the campaign.

While 77 ASHAs were engaged in the task, 24 ASHAs could not carry out their assigned task for there was no more polio drops for a number of villages located close to the international boundary.

Due to lack of polio drops, the campaign is likely to be crippled for the remaining days of the first round pulse polio immunisation programme, out of which 17 villages under Khengjoy block will have to be left out of the purview.

House to house coverage is supposed to be carried out in the following days of the programme.

The meeting also decried Department officials chalking out plans at the office desk rather than enquire from those working at the village level to understand the ground reality and the quantum of medicine likely to be required for the campaign.

Comment