LARKANA: Sindh Government: campaign against Measles and Rubella launched today from 15th to 27th November to vaccinate children aged between nine months to 15 years against these diseases has suffered massively in Larkana district on the first day as the vaccinators are on strike since the past two weeks and many vaccination centres remain closed, sources disclosed to this scribe on Monday.
These sources further added that the EPI vaccination centre established at the Chandka Children Hospital has remained closed much before the start of the due to their strike by vaccinators and all the men, women and parents who brought their newborns for vaccination were either asked to return or redirected to contact the District Health Officer (DHO) office for further details.
Vaccinators also held a protest demonstration outside Children Hospital on Monday for acceptance of their demands. Few of the doctors posted at Chandka Children Hospital told this Scribe that the vaccination system seems to be a failure because outbreaks of Measles, diphtheria and other vaccine-preventable diseases erupt from time to time adding if system is run properly there will be no need of such campaigns but due to maladministration, inefficiency and mismanagement all government efforts to eradicate these diseases seem to be like beating the bushes.
Dr. Muhammad Akbar Daoodani, DHO, Larkana, said that more than 40% vaccination work has been affected due to strike. He said talks with the agitating employees are underway at the higher level and hoped that things will be clear tonight. He said 46 union councils are to be covered in Larkana and they have tried to deploy vaccination teams everywhere so that no child is left behind. He said strike is throughout Sindh except few districts so work is bound to be affected due to shortage of required staff
In this connection when Director, Health Services, Larkana Division, Dr. Rustom Ali Bhutto, was contacted he said that vaccinators and Lady Health Workers (LHWs) have joined hands and are on strike but, he added, they will achieve their target of vaccinating 39% of the population as surveyed earlier. He said vaccination of 654,115 children of Larkana district will be achieved.
He said that there are 138 vaccinators and 928 LHWs in Larkana district. He said when asked that the main demand of protesting vaccinators is to give them promotions and regularize services of 334 vaccinators who were terminated on a court order. He said the target of vaccinating children in Kambar-Shahdadkot district is 572551 children, Shikarpur 523752, Jacobabad 427498 and Kashmore district 470092 children and hoped it will be achieved.