RAHIM YAR KHAN, Sept 30: Non-availability of vaccines for different diseases have rendered dozens of children disabled and taken lives of hundreds of others in a decade in Abadpur union council in Rahim Yar Khan district.

Located at some 40 kilometres from here, the Abadpur UC comprises six Mouzas - Abadpur, Daulatpur, Noonari, Bait Mir Ahmed, Chak 49/NP and Chak 50/NP with having a population of around 2,300.

The Health department has set up a BHU in Abadpur UC for the provision of health facilities to the area people, but they have to come to Rahim Yar Khan for proper treatment.

Social worker and National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) coordinator Zahida Parveen said that almost 6,000 children had not been completely vaccinated which caused disability and deaths of children on a large scale in the last 10 years.

She said that around 40 per cent children had died of the measles and 18 per cent of tetanus during the period. Gharib Nawaz's two-year-old son Kashif of Mouza Noonari was brought to the Sheikh Zayed Hospital here due to high fever, who was given only the BCG vaccine after his birth.

This correspondent visited the Abadpur UC and observed that several children were suffering from different diseases because of incomplete vaccination. Six-year old Shazia, the daughter of Muhammad Ismail, was affected by polio.

Her father said that Shazia had been vaccinated only for once some four months ago. Two daughters of Mulazim Hussain of Noonari, Asma (6) and Samina (8), had also become victims of polio for the same reason.

Jam Tayyab of Bait Mir Ahmed said that his 10-year-old son Tanveer Hussain, whose both legs were now affected by polio, was given only the BCG vaccine some eight years ago.

Similarly, Farman Hussain (12), Ishfaq Hussain (7) and Naseem Bibi (13) of Bait Mir Ahmed also became victims of polio for non-availability of vaccination. Most of residents of these two Mouzas held responsible vaccinator Rafiq of the Abadpur BHU for this sorry state of affairs.

Muhammad Afzal alleged that Rafiq provided free vaccination facility only to his relatives and charged Rs50 for the vaccination of his son. Mureed Husain said the vaccinator performed his duty only in Abadpur BHU and never paid visits to five other Mouzas.

He further alleged that Rafiq had links with the high-ups of the health department for he had been posted here for over a decade. Another person requesting anonymity said that Rafiq had deputed his nephews Asif, Nasir and Rehmatullah for the vaccination of the children who charged Rs100 each. They did not also keep a proper record of the vaccination.

EDO Health Dr Sadiq Sheikh said that an inquiry against vaccinator Rafiq was being conducted by the District Health Officer, Rahim Yar Khan. He said that strict action would be taken against the vaccinator if found guilty.

Dr Sadiq claimed that some 18 children of Abadpur UC, who were brought to the Sheikh Zayed Hospital for weak legs, were not affected by polio. Daulatpur Tehsil Nazim Makhdoom Alambardar said that he was not aware of the complaints against the vaccinator.

However, he said that he would himself investigate the matter and would punish the vaccinator if he was found involved in it. When contacted, vaccinator Rafiq was not present in Abadpur BHU.