The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Polio programme has suffered a setback: Health Commissioner

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 23, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Polio programme has suffered a setback: Health Commissioner

Staff Reporter

No truth in the rumours on polio vaccine , says Srinivasachari

Programme is being implemented for the past 13 years
‘Death of child in Tamil Nadu not due to vaccination’

Bangalore: The national programme to eradicate polio had suffered a setback, said P.N. Srinivasachari, Commissioner, Department of Health and Family Welfare, while rubbishing rumours and media reports of supposed death of infants due to the polio vaccine.

Addressing presspersons here on Monday, the commissioner said that the polio vaccination programme was launched across the nation on Sunday.

In Karnataka, the department had set out to administer the polio vaccine to an estimated 72.78 lakh children, aged below five years.

“On Sunday, 83.64 per cent were covered i.e. around 60.87 lakh children. There is no truth in the rumours that were rife last night. Even in the history of the 13-year-old programme, such incidents have not occurred,” he said.

Mr. Srinivasachari said that the rumours spread thick and fast in and around Bangalore, Kolar, Mandya, Tumkur and Hassan.

“The rumours were flashed on the TV channels late on Sunday night and people panicked. The rumours have caused untold misery, hardship and inconvenience to several parents and medical practitioners.”

He said that people should realise that the polio eradication programme is taken up at the national level and also implemented across the world by the World Health Organisation.

“Polio is a debilitating disease. A lot of homework has gone into framing the eradication programme. Several scientists and doctors have worked for decades on the programme,” he added.

Over the past three years, no polio cases had been reported in the State. Dismissing reports of contamination of the polio vaccine, Mr. Srinivasachari urged the private medical practitioners and institutions to exercise restraint before making statements.

With regard to the death of a child reported in Erode district of Tamil Nadu, he said it was not due to the vaccination.

“The child was suffering from hydrocephalus. It had been operated upon and was in a critical condition. The parents have also clarified on that. The vaccine was administered to more than 150 children at the same place and nothing has happened to them,” he added.

Nilay Mitash, Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission, said that officials had been in touch with the deputy commissioners of all the affected districts.

“The deputy commissioners and the superintendents of police went personally to the hospitals and convinced parents that all was well. All the ground-level health officials and staff at the various hospitals rose to the situation and helped us tackle it without any problems,” he pointed out.

Dr. Srinivasachari said that due to these issues, the door-to-door campaign had been affected to a certain extent. “We are trying to convince people that it is safe. We can check the efficacy of the drug based on the colour of liquid in the vial. I urge people not to pay heed to the rumours and get their children vaccinated,” he added.

Mohan Raj, project director, Reproductive and Child Health; Usha Vasunkar, Director of Department of Health and Family Welfare; and Jagashetty, Drug Controller, Karnataka, were present.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka