65 polio refusal cases surfaced in Peshawar

By Ashrafuddin Pirzada

PESHAWAR: Polio officials and Local Government(LG)representatives on Saturday urged the
parants of the 65 refused children from Regi Lalma and Malkandehr union counclils to administered polio drops their children so that their children could be saved from polio virus.

To find a solution for the polio refusal cases health officials organized a consultative meeting at Nasirbagh Basic Health Unit(BHU) which was attended by score of Local Government members from Union councils of RegilLalma,Malkandehr,
Lakary, 512 and other adjacent areas.

Speaking on the occasion,district member Akhtar Gul,town member Asad Khan and town member Farhatullah said missing children from polio vaccination was alraming for the rest of the children.They said the missing children should be given polio drops as soon as possible  to curb the virus not to get roots in Pakistan.

The participants said they would constitute a Jirga to held talks with the parents who refused to administer polio drops to their children. They said filling First Information Report(FIR) was not the durable solution of the issue.
"I  will soon meet the parents of 65 missing children and hope that they will let their chilren to be vaccinated",said town member Asad Khan. He added that forcing people with power of police and other government institutions would negatively affect the polio eradication campaign. He also suggedted fog spray and dumping the wastages to eliminate polio and dengue viruses from the Pakistani soil.

Polio communication officer Zarshad said it was not the lone obligation of the health officials or other government employee but everyone especially elected representatives should come forward and play their due role in this noble cause. He said in the last anti polio campagins parents from Regi Lalma and Malkandehr had refused to administer polio drops to 65 children. He said it was a serious threat for the healthy children that parents not letting their children to be vaccinated.

Zarshad said the number of redusal cases was only 16 in start of 2018 but in March it reached to 65.He said they need cooperation and coordination of the local elders especially elected representatives to convince the parents who refused to let their children administered polio drops. He said if Jirgas failed with the parents who constently refusing to administering polio drops to their children they would be compeled to file FIR agsinst them.

Dr Kalsoom Esa,a medical officer at Nasir Bagh BHU, said not only polio but dengue virus was also detected in Canal Town and Bazidkhel areas this month. She said soon on the directives of district health officer they would launch awareness and cleanliness drives in the area to stop spreading larva as it was gradually taking momemtum in the coming months.

Dr kalsoom urged the participants to actively participate and spread the message of cleanliness in their respective councils.