At high risk for polio: Hundreds missed in vaccination drive

Health Department teams have not visited dozens of villages in DG Khan’s tribal areas

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Hundreds of children in more than a dozen villages in tribal areas of Dera Ghazi Khan district have not been given polio drops, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Health Department teams did not reach these villages in Kot Mubarik and Gadie areas. The villages are: Sulaiman (Union Council Mubariki); Bajhi Kamalani and Bay Surban (Union Council Ronghin); Bahnar Daf, Muhammad Nawaz, Bale Pathar, Chalani, Halu Thal, Johand Thal, Gharkhad, Taah, Qutbah, Darohi, Dahaf and Makha.

Hayaat Khan, a resident of Bay Surban, told The Express Tribune that Health Department officials had not visited the villages. “Instead of travelling to these areas to administer polio drops, they bribed Border Military Police (BMP) officials and got clearance certificates from them,” Khan said. Raheem Bakhsh, a resident of Hallu Thal, said that they could not take their children to other areas to be vaccinated for polio.

“There are tribal enmities. It is not safe to take our children to areas regularly visited by polio teams,” he said.

A BMP official, deployed in the area, told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media that the Health Department teams had not visited these areas. “BMP Commandant Shahid Mehboob told Dera Ghazi Khan District Coordination Officer (DCO) Amjad Shoaib Tareen that polio drops had not been administered in these areas during an official meeting,” he said.

Amanullah, Bajhi Kamalani, said that the villagers had informed the DCO, District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Abdur Rehman Quraishi and Rukni Deputy DHO Dr Jalal Khan Leghari about the problem. “So far, none of the officials have responded to our complaint,” he said.

Residents of the villages have appealed to the provincial authorities to ensure their children get the polio vaccine.

DHO Quraishi told The Express Tribune that the Health Department staff had tried to visit all areas.

“Our staff tries its best to reach all areas. However, some areas are inaccessible due to various reasons. So, we ask the BMP volunteers to administer polio drops there. So far, we have not received any written complaint,” he said.

Talking to The Express Tribune, BMP Commandant Shahid Mehboob said that villagers had informed him that their children had not received the polio drops during a visit to the areas.

“I informed the DCO about the situation. Now, health teams have been dispatched to administer polio drops to children of these areas,” he said.

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