At their peril: Over 450 parents held for refusing polio drops

K-P health department hires religious scholars to convince families.

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government proved its determination to eradicate polio by arresting 471 parents who refused vaccine for their children, while authorities have also hired religious scholars to convince families.

The offenders were taken into custody on Monday under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order.

Police said the arrests were ordered by DC Peshawar as polio workers reported those parents who refused oral polio vaccine drops for their children during the campaign last week. “Arrests have been made in the jurisdictions of Mathra, Mattani, Khazana and Sarband police stations,” a police official told The Express Tribune. More will be taken into custody to force them to vaccinate their children,” he added.

The DC Peshawar’s spokesperson, Jamil Shah, confirmed the detained parents refused to vaccinate their children below five years of age. So far, all those arrested have been sent to Central Jail Peshawar. The spokesman added the civil administration issued warrants to arrest another 1,000 parents and directed police to take them into custody at the earliest.

Shah added such extreme measures were taken to rid the province of polio, a disease that is putting “Pakistan’s image at stake around the globe”.

By the book

The K-P health department sent “religious support persons” to convince parents refusing polio vaccination under Sehat ka Ittehad, a joint venture of the provincial and federal governments.

“These individuals will not be travelling with polio vaccinators from door-to-door,” a health official said, requesting anonymity. “Their job begins when someone refuses to vaccinate their children.”

He said parents were usually convinced when approached by religious scholars. However, those houses that refused were pinpointed and that was when the police department also got involved.

“Our aim is to administer polio drops to children at all cost, whether it is through the influence of religious personalities, local elites or the force of the police,” he said.

A polio vaccinator said scholars are paid for their 10-day-a-month duties. “They do not accompany us during the campaign, but their services are hired once we fail to convince parents,” he said. The polio worker added the support team gets Rs800 a day for each individual.

JUI-F MPA Mufti Fazal Ghafoor told The Express Tribune he appreciated the health department’s “positive step”.

“The rising number of polio cases has stigmatised the country and if religious leaders can help convince parents, it is a good way to eradicate poliovirus from the country.”

Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai said religious scholars have already been taken onboard and asked to play their role in fighting polio. He said they cannot be sidelined and have the power to convince people to vaccinate their children. “This is something crucial. In the past, there was propaganda against polio drops, but the Ulema played a positive role in convincing people,” the minister said.

Safety measures

Following the launch of the Sehat ka Insaf immunisation drive, the Peshawar district administration on Monday imposed a ban on pillion riding for two days under Section 144.

According to an official notification from Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Riaz Mehsud, the district government has banned pillion riding in the provincial capital for two days.

A Short Interval Additional Dose (SIAD) campaign under the banner of Sehat ka Ittehad is under way across K-P where children are being vaccinated against nine different diseases. At least 7,221 mobile, 761 fixed and 277 transit polio teams will target 2.77 million children in three days. A total of 1,620 area in charges will monitor the campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2015.