By Richa Sharma, IANS,
Saharsa (Bihar): For months, Bina Devi, 26, had been running from pillar to post to get a ration card. And then she realised that refusing polio drops for her children could help her get it in no time.
Having realised the importance the government attaches to eradicating polio in Bihar – a polio endemic state – many people like her have begun to bargain for basic facilites by refusing polio drops to their children unless things get done.
“I applied for a ration card in March this year but despite having all the required documents, the authorities were not issuing it. I am very poor and have five children to feed, so one day in early November I let the authorities know that I wouldn’t get my three younger children vaccinated for polio until I got a ration card,” Bina told IANS.
And to Bina’s surprise, the very same day a group of senior officials were at her doorstep assuring her she would get the ration card soon after she vaccinated her children.
“I got the ration card within a week’s time,” said Bina with a smile on her face.
According to National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP) officials, they regularly get reports of people refusing to get their children vaccinated.
“People refuse the vaccine for not getting their due like widow pension or home rations, houses under the Indira Aawas yojna and other government schemes,” said Hemant Shukla, regional team leader of the NPSP.
Bhagwan Chaudhury, a block mobilisation coordinator in Murali village in Saharsa, said: “Some people refused the vaccine during the last round of vaccination. We immediately informed the senior officials who in turn counselled the family and ensured that vaccination is administered.”
“People refused to vaccinate their children if they did not get rations on time or get poor quality ration through the public distribution system. They have started using it as a tool to avail themselves of government facilities. And, believe me, they are being heard,” said Chaudhury, who has been working in the area for four years.
Saharsa district in north central Bihar is a high risk area for polio eradication in the state. It has reported 22 polio cases this year and the authorities are making sure that no child under five is without immunisation.
The majority of the population in villages in the Kosi river embankment area is poor and has to face the wrath of regular floods, thus being deprived of basic amenities. The area is very important as it lies within the Kosi embankment, which reports a majority of polio cases.
“Accessibility is the biggest challenge in eradicating polio here and we are extensively focussing on it. We are taking all measures to ensure none of the children in the district is left un-immunised,” said Saharsa district magistrate R. Lakshmanan.
Bihar reported 110 polio cases this year, 38 being of the highly infectious polio strain virus P1 and the remaining of the P3 strain.
(Richa Sharma can be contacted at [email protected])