Threat of boycott by Auxiliary Nurse and Midwifery (ANM) staff, Anganwadi workers and continued agitation of the Asha workers have put the health department under deep pressure just before the start of the ambitious Measles Rubella (MR) campaign.
The massive campaign which aims to vaccinate 2835658 children in 13 districts of the state would be launched on Monday. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat would start the campaign by witnessing the administration of the vaccine at Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidhyalaya at Nonoorkheda on the day.
The Association of the ANMs is however determined to boycott the programme. A meeting of the district unit of the ANMs was held at Parade ground on Sunday. Apart from boycott of the vaccination drive, ANMs also decided to forcibly stop the vaccination drive. The association also formed many teams of which will visit different places where the health department has planned to vaccinate the students and create obstruction in the work. The President of the state unit of the ANM association Guddi Matura said that at present only ANMs of Dehradun are boycotting the vaccination drive but if required the stir can be spread all over the state after consultation with different district units. She claimed that no one from the health department has contacted the agitating ANMs.
On their demands like Assured Career Progression (ACP), the district unit of ANMs is on a path of agitation. There are 168 ANMs in Dehradun district while there are 2200 such nurses in the state. The role of ANMs is very important as the vaccine is needed to be injected in the children and for this work they are trained. The health department officials also admit in private that the boycott of the ANMs would hit the campaign hard.
The task of the department has been made tough especially in Dehradun district, by the agitation of the Asha workers. To compound the things further the association of the Anganwadi workers of the state has also decided to boycott the campaign. “ Yes we will boycott the campaign as work of Ashas is being loaded on us. We have not received out remuneration from last eight months and the department has not released the building allowance due which large number of Anganwadi centres are on verge of closure,’’ said Rekha Negi President of association of Anganwadi workers.
When contacted the state immunisation officer Dr Bharati Rana said that the efforts are being made to persuade the ANMs not to boycott such an important campaign. She said that all preparations are in place for the success of the massive drive.
Children between the age group of 9 months to 15 years will be given a single shot of Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine during the campaign.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in association with United Nation International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) initiated the MR vaccination campaign in February 2017.
Rubella is commonly referred to as German measles is a mild infection, but can have serious consequences if it occurs in pregnant women. The new MR vaccine also protects against measles, a major killer of small children. Measles is highly contagious and spreads through coughing. India accounts for 36 percent of the measles death globally. Those who survive are more vulnerable to its complications such as diarrhea and pneumonia.