CHITRAL: The people of Chitral’s Arandu and Arsoon areas are highly vulnerable to polio due to the faulty vaccination arrangements by the health department.

There are also fears of the spread of the virus to other parts of the district bordering Kunar province of Afghanistan, which had reported five polio cases last year.

The alarming situation was highlighted by Dr. Iqtidar Hussain of the provincial expanded programme on immunisation during the periodical meeting of the district polio eradication committee (DPEC) here on Friday.

While presenting the report of his recent visit to Arandu area, Mr. Hussain said five polio cases were reported last year in Kunar province from where the people frequently traveled to Arandu and Arsoon area and therefore,

there was a growing vulnerability of the local people to polio.

He revealed that anti-polio vaccines were kept in hot water in Arandu hospital threatening their efficacy.

The official said the hospital didn’t refrigerate vaccines despite the provision of electric generator and Rs12,000 a month by the Aga Khan Health Service programme to run it.

He said local healthcare workers didn’t have adequate knowledge of vaccination; they’re trained in administering anti-polio drops, and the records of vaccination were missing.

Mr. Hussain said the ‘micro plan’ was the basic tool for carrying out vaccination in an area but it was found to be incomplete and full of errors in Arandu and Arsoon areas raising serious questions about the anti-polio campaigns launched in the past.

“No marker was used in the last one year to mark children after administering anti-polio drops to them,” he said.

The official said many other essential components were found missing from the vaccination programmes in the area.

Chitral DC Osama Ahmed Warraich, who chaired the meeting, expressed dissatisfaction with the health department’s vaccination arrangements in Arandu, Ashrait and Drosh union councils, which border Kunar province.

He asked the health department to launch special vaccination campaigns in the three union councils in view of the presence of Afghan nationals belonging to Kunar.

He said the health officials and workers showing leniency in that respect would face strict action.

The DC also ordered proper training of health workers, including vaccinators.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2016