Doctors warn of boycotting anti-polio campaign in Badin

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Demands fierce action against DC

 

Badin doctors on Monday announced to boycott the upcoming campaign of polio vaccination until the transfer of Badin deputy commissioner (DC) over a tension in a meeting held to review arrangements for the campaign.

They have also warned of closing down the outpatients departments (OPD) if the strict action is not taken against the DC.

According to details, a meeting called for reviewing the arrangements for the upcoming polio campaign of district Badin turned into a chaos after the Badin Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) fierce interrogation of the doctors over 11 unvaccinated children of UC Badin-II.

During the meeting, the DC accused District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Hemraj Rathi of negligence and warned him of taking a strict action against him.

The doctors, upon this, boycotted the meeting and protested against the disrespectful behaviour of the DC.

Doctors held a press conference at the Badin press club on Monday, they were outraged at the insulting tone of the DC and alleged that the DC hadn’t provided them with enough vaccines to combat polio virus.

Dr Sharif Chandio, Dr Zahoor Abbasi, Dr Gulab Kashmiri, Dr Hafiz Samoon, Ghulam Hussain Soomro and others were present on the occasion.

The doctors protested against the DC’s ill language termed such act as against the rules and principles of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

While talking to media persons, Badin DC representative Shoukat Hussain Jokhio rejected doctors’ accusation of low provision of vaccines.

He said that a third party was engaged to evaluate the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) vaccination, adding, randomly four union councils were selected for Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) by that party and eleven children were found unvaccinated.

Moreover, he said, the district administration had received expensive IPV from the WHO but doctors failed to vaccinate all the children.

The spokesman said that a letter has been written to the Health chief secretary and secretary stating, “Due to a poor performance of the doctors, the Badin district administration couldn’t run the polio campaign in the district and demanded an immediate transfer of the DHO and provision of the active team”.