Polio vaccination counter set up at Bacha Khan Airport

CAA official says meeting today to finalise certificates, decide jurisdiction issues.

PESHAWAR:

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has set up special counters to administer polio drops and issue certificates of proof to passengers travelling abroad via Bacha Khan International Airport.

CAA officials told The Express Tribune children passing through the airport were being administered polio drops since the past year but a dedicated counter to vaccinate people of all ages has now been established at the airport following. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) directives that made vaccinations against the crippling disease, along with a certificate of proof, mandatory for Pakistani citizens going abroad.

The official, who requested anonymity, said a model vaccination certificate was expected to be approved during a meeting of provincial and federal health officials today (Tuesday).

“We held a meeting with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) director general of health last week where it was decided to set up a permanent counter since international airlines will be asking for a vaccination certificate,” the official said. Passengers will thus be able to produce the certificate at the time of receiving their boarding passes, he added.

He said since it was mandatory to obtain the certificate four weeks before the scheduled flight, passengers can also get polio drops from the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Lady Reading Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex while those who misplace their certificates or are unable to get prior vaccination can get polio drops administered, and the certificate issued, at the airport.

Jurisdiction issues

There are, however, certain ambiguities in the process as airports fall under the domain of the federal government, said the CAA official. “We have not answered the question as to what happens in case a certificate is lost inside the airport right before the flight. Who will be the issuing authority in such a case,” he stated.

When contacted, Dr Kashmala Orakzai, who represents the federal government at the airport, said all issues pertaining to issuing certificates and jurisdictions will be discussed in the meeting on Tuesday (today) as federal government representatives will also be attending the meeting.

Following WHO restrictions, K-P Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai had said Bacha Khan International Airport has been directed to administer polio vaccines to people of all ages as well as provide vaccination cards to travellers.

On May 5, WHO decided to impose travel restrictions on Pakistan to prevent the possible spread of poliovirus to other countries. The decision was made on the recommendation of the emergency committee of WHO, which met on April 28 and suggested imposing travel restrictions on Pakistan.

The WHO also recommended similar restrictions on Syria and Cameroon – two countries where polio was previously said to have been eradicated but had recently been known to have been exporting the disease.

Pakistan is one of only three countries where the crippling virus is endemic, with the other two being Nigeria and Afghanistan.

Polio blame game: Health minister hits back

As a rejoinder to Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique’s accusations that Peshawar was to be blamed for the spread of polio, Tarakai said the centre should be grateful for K-P government’s polio campaigns in the provincial capital. This was quoted in a statement issued on Monday from the CM’s Polio Monitoring Cell.

If the K-P government had not undertaken special polio drives in Peshawar, the WHO would have clamped a complete travel ban on Pakistan, he added.

According to Tarakai, Rafique should have consulted the federal health minister and polio cell coordinators before issuing such a statement.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2014.