Rawalpindi - Parents of scores of children have reportedly refused polio vaccination for their offspring during the ongoing anti-polio campaign in Rawalpindi.
The refusal cases were reported in several streets of Munawar Colony, a thickly populated area located on Adiala Road and controlled by Police Station (PS) Saddar Bairooni. Official sources disclosed to The Nation on Thursday that scores of parents have stopped the anti-polio teams from administering polio drops to their children during an ongoing anti-polio campaign in Munawar Colony. They said the anti-polio teams have also been threatened by the family heads when they tried to convince them for allowing them to put polio drops in mouths of children under age 5 years old, they said.
Sources said the anti-polio teams have brought the matter into notice of district government high ups. A meeting is expected to be held soon under the chair of DeC in this regard, they said. The authorities would evolve a plan to approach and convince parents who did not allow health workers to administer polio drops to their children, sources said.
Talking to The Nation, a female health visitor said the families residing in with streets bordering with Global and Roots Schools opposite Dhama Mor have refused to allow them to administer polio drops their children. “Don’t visit and knock our door ever as you administer polio drops with dirty hands that may put the lives of our children into danger,” the lady health worker quoted a family head as saying. When contacted, DC Muhammad Ali Randhawa said the parents are not allowed legally for refusing the polio teams from administering polio drops.
to children.
He said he would send the senior polio workers and the assistant commissioner to the area for counselling with the families. He said adequate security would also be provided to the polio teams. He said the aim of district government was at to make Rawalpindi a polio free city.