HYDERABAD: The recent eight-day anti-polio campaign in Hyderabad district saw over 11,000 children unable to receive their polio drops, primarily due to many being absent from home.
A report compiled at the conclusion of the campaign, conducted with the support of the district administration and the health department in collaboration with WHO, revealed that 11,704 children under five missed out on vaccinations. Of these, 10,913 were not present at home, while 791 parents refused to vaccinate their children.
Despite directives from Divisional Commissioner Bilal Memon to improve performance due to the high number of children missing vaccinations, the situation did not change significantly even after the campaign was extended for an additional day following the discovery of polio cases in the area.
Health department sources indicated that, while high-ranking officials often claim to provide necessary facilities and security for polio workers, in reality, these supports are lacking. During the campaign, there were multiple complaints of harassment and threats against polio workers, yet no government action was taken to address these issues.
In some rural areas, polio teams were reportedly taken hostage by armed individuals, who stole their mobile phones, motorcycles, and cash. Affected workers filed written complaints, but received no assistance, contributing to a growing sense of despair among polio vaccination teams.
The report also highlighted a high rate of parental refusals in various union councils, including Cantt, Town Municipal Corporation, Hussainabad, Mian Sarfraz, Neron Kot, Preetabad, Qasimabad, Sachal Sarmast, Latifabad, Tando Fazal, and Tando Jam. The goal for the campaign was to vaccinate 400,837 children throughout the district.
