ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI:
In the wake of the global travel curbs recommended for Pakistanis over the spread of polio, hospital workers are scrambling to issue vaccination certificates to would-be travellers – in some cases without actually administering polio drops.
At least that is what is happening in Islamabad and Karachi, where some travellers are avoiding taking the required polio drops.
The Federal Government Services Hospital (Polyclinic) – the second largest public hospital in the capital – is one such place. Naheed Mushtaq, who is planning to visit Canada to see her daughter, went to the Polyclinic hospital to get a vaccination certificate as required for travel abroad.
“The man who was issuing the certificate just asked people to give their passport numbers – without any verification – and how many certificates they needed,” she described her experience. “He even asked us to get the certificate without taking polio drops saying there was no need.”
The hospital official stamped the certificate with the signature of Dr Farrukh Iqbal, the assistant executive director of the hospital.
The entire procedure is settled for a meagre Rs20, said Mushtaq.
Talking to The Express Tribune, the Polyclinic hospital’s spokesperson, Dr Tanveer Malik, said his colleagues are closely monitoring the entire process and denied Mrs Mushtaq’s claim.
However, a WHO official, who did not want to be named, said that there is a dire need for a mechanism for closely monitoring the issuance of the certificates.
The government should ensure that the certificate contains the batch number of the vaccination vial, he added.
The official clarified that the certificate is valid for one year and travellers do not need to acquire a new certificate for every trip.
More expensive in Karachi
However, in Karachi, one can get the polio-vaccination certificate for Rs100 or Rs50 without being administered polio drops. The certificate issuers (mostly polio workers) appointed at the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and even the travellers who feel the certificate is mandatory believe that polio drops are not.
“It is just a formality,” a traveller told The Express Tribune. He was of the view that no one cares about the drops. “These [drops] are only for children, not for adults,” he said. “Have you ever seen any adult affected by polio?”
On the question of acquiring the certificate, he said that his neighbour is an employee of the EPI. “He is so kind. He handed over all the certificates to me within eight hours.”
Meanwhile, a supervisor at the EPI said, “I ask them to take the drops but no one listens to me.” The health official disclosed that some of his colleagues issue the certificates for Rs50 or even Rs100. “The rates are higher sometimes – it varies from case to case.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2014.
COMMENTS (11)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
How many cases of polio in Pakistan? only 81 out of 200 million population. How many cases of other infectious diseases? comparatively a very high percentage for which WHO is doing nothing. Why just care of polio in Pakistan? Something wrong...... When was there any epidemic of polio in Pakistan? NONE. You pro-vaccines guys are simply uninformed of the dangerous of all vaccines. Just enlighten yourself at vran.org
@waqas:
Then just produce your vaccination certificate and you're good
Anyone who would issue a certificate without requiring the vaccine be taken is doing a great disservice to Pakistan...the first time someone is caught with a health certificate and also found to have the virus there will be a complete travel ban on all Pakistanis...and there should be...if Pakistan is so corrupted that they cannot be trusted with simple health matters then Pakistanis should be separated from the rest of the people on earth...
@waqas: An adult cannot get polio but can be a polio carrier. This is the reason WHO has advised that people traveling from Pakistan should be required to sow a certificate of having taken polio vaccination.
Of course if you do not plan to travel out of Pakistan then this does not impact you and you do not need to get polio vaccines.
These drops are important ., but can someone tell me if its required for adults also ? as in all polio campaigns all over the world only children bellow 5 are given these drops , and how to verify if a person has already been given the drops previously ??
because at least in Karachi people travelling have already made sure that their son's and daughters have been given the drops ,
my son has been given the drops just a day after his birth. so how to prove any of that ??
and is taking drops again and again safe ?? considering the fact that at times these vaccines get bad or get expired ?? due to hospital people not able to maintain the required temperature due to severe load shedding ??
don't get me wrong i have made sure that all my relatives including my own son bellow 5 are provided these drops but we have always gotten this done from the best hospital available so as to make sure that there is no foul play !
Race is on to become the most Irrational country on the face of Earth....and we already know the name of the victor.
Adults dont need to get drops like myself had taken drop in childhood from age 1 to age 5 who do i need to take drops again
Typical Pakistani way of doing things !!
I think a plain ban until Pakistan sorts out itself will be the best option.
Why are muslims so afraid of taking Polio vaccine drops? Here in the UK drops are given to new born babies on their first medical checkup.
This is terrible, but on expected lines. I guess the only solution to ensure that Pakistan doesn't export more polio is to have a polio-drop delivery centre at some embassies - where the staff can personally verify that drops are being delivered. In any case, the idiots who are opposed to polio drops are unlikely to want to travel to 'Satanic' countries which permit such drops.