While the caretaker health minister assures people of a massive immunisation campaign yet again, the District Health Department seems indifferent to the matter.
Amidst promises of mass anti-measles campaigns, little attention is being paid to the fact that the government has already been spending millions of rupees on the Expanded Program of Immunisation (EPI) to immunise children under the age of five years. The four deaths in the metropolitan— three in Mayo and one in Children’s Hospital – highlights the criminal negligence of district health authorities in executing the campaign.
While the recent figures touch astonishingly new heights, around 8000 cases, with around 3000 in Lahore alone, the government’s response is inapt
Little attention is being paid to the fact that the EPI has been in place for decades now, hence, the fault lies not in immunisation but in the apparatus implementing it. The programme includes vaccination against TB, polio and pentavalent (whooping cough, tetanus, diphtheria, pneumonia and hepatitis.
Sources revealed that the data showed that around 85 percent of the affected children did not receive the mandatory routine vaccination against measles. The other 15 percent missed one of the two mandatory dozes. Among those who received the vaccination, the protection rate was only 70 percent, while the remaining 30 percent remain vulnerable to the disease.
“The fact that the district authorities have failed to administer injections to an overwhelming majority is alarming. I do not understand where the millions of rupees go,” an official, on the condition of anonymity, told Pakistan Today.
The official further said that a recent third party evaluation of Punjab’s EPI reported 60 percent coverage, showing clear gaps in the objectives.
“The vaccinators have become officers and they are not interested in their work. A large network of lady health workers also provides support, but the objectives are not being achieved as vaccinators do not perform vaccination as mentioned in the standard operating procedure,” he added.
In February, the Lahore High Court sought a report from the Punjab health secretary on a petition against government’s failure to control the measles outbreak.
Considering the gravity of the situation, former Punjab chief secretary Nasir Khosa also called a meeting of all DCOs to ensure implementation of the routine EPI in all districts. However, the increasing cases and deaths have only manifested the inefficiency and the indifference of the workers.
According to sources, the situation is deteriorating in Gujranwala, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rawalpindi where hundreds of cases have already been reported since January. A senior health expert said all children who were being breastfed developed natural immunity for nine months, while the modern child bottled milk is rather unsafe.
EPI Director Dr Tanveer Shaiq blamed district health officials who “just did not perform” despite having resources and strict orders.
“Nine EDOs have been removed since last year on the basis of poor EPI, but the prformence re3mains the same,” he said.
Health Minister Saleema Hashmi termed the deaths terrible and admitted the flaws in the immunisation campaign.
“Every child has not received the vaccination which the child’s right. Besides, the parents also do not take the trouble of taking their child to a hospital for not having the means or access,” she said.
“It is no doubt a Herculean task and we are already at it,” she added.
