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Private schools in city resist anti-measles campaign
Karachi, Nov 30, 2007: Private schools in the city are resisting the anti-measles
campaign, though 58 children die of measles each day in the country, said Dr
Salma Ali, representative of the World Health Organisation (Who) here on
Thursday.
"We are facing problems in schools located mostly in the posh
localities of the city and the conservative areas of interior Sindh," she said
while speaking at press conference at a local hotel along with Sindh's caretaker
minister for health and other senior health officials.
She disclosed that
the administration of one school 'misbehaved' with the anti-measles team. She
said they become successful in conducting the campaign in a chain of a famous
school after the intervention of directorate of schools, while letters have also
been sent to the administrators of another famous school.
Dr Ali admitted
that they had also faced problems during the anti-polio campaign as at some
places "dogs were let loose and hot water thrown on the team
members."
The caretaker Minister for Health, Fauzia Lari, said that the
private school administrations think that "they can afford to get the children
vaccinated from good hospitals." Besides, the consent of parents is deemed
"necessary."
She said that a 90 per cent target of anti-measles campaign
has been achieved in Sindh. Under the campaign, around 13,839,635 children were
supposed to be vaccinated against measles by November 28.
Replying to a
volley of questions, the minister promised that inquiry into affairs of Civil
Hospital, Karachi (CHK) will be conducted as after granting it autonomy, several
people have been hired with "extraordinary" financial incentives.
She
expressed her ignorance about the recruitment of doctors in the health sector,
reportedly hours before the end of the tenure of the previous
government.
The minister also dispelled rumours that the secretary health
is being transferred.
To a question about the issuance of around 300 drug
licences recently, the Special Secretary, Health, Captain (retd) Dr Abdul Majid
said there is ban on the issuance of drug licences when the Supreme Court has
taken a suo moto notice against it, because many medical store operators are not
"registered pharmacists". He claimed that dispensers after getting necessary
training and registered pharmacists were being given drug licences. He said a
drug licence was issued to a famous private hospital in the city after the drug
investigator rectified the irregularities there. He said "we will look into it
only if the EDO Health, Karachi, has issued 300 drug licences."
The
Director General Health, Sindh, Dr Hadi Buksh Jatoi pointed out that it is
impossible to distribute 10,000 nets against mosquitoes when there are 0.1
million patients.
The minister said she had taken notice of the deaths
reportedly caused by malaria in Keamari Town and had ordered fumigation there. The News
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