Vaccination is free for infants in Government hospitals, but not here in Bokaro. Vaccines of DPT, BCG along with ‘Immunisation cards’ is on sale at State Dispensary (Sector-1) in Bokaro.
Paramedical staffs at the State Dispensary, Bokaro, openly take cash against each and every vaccination; parents are forced to pay `30-40 for each vaccine (pushed) and `10 for the Infant Immunisation Card (Jacha Bacha Raksha Card).
“When I rushed to the state dispensary to vaccinate my newly born baby I saw a female paramedical staff who was injecting vaccines to the infants taking cash against the vaccination form each parents,” said Punam a local resident.
“I was in queue and when my turn came she also asked me to pay Rs 10 for the Jacha Bacha Raksha Card and Rs 20 for BCG vaccine,” added Punam.
Md Asfaq, a resident of Siwandih, said, the paramedical staff forced me to pay `40 against vaccination to my 2 1/2 months old son. “I had also paid earlier against the vaccination of BCG and DPT,” he added.
Though the nation is embarked on to bringing down the infant mortality rates and providing free vaccines at the Government hospitals, flouting all norms it all goes on sale at Bokaro. Civil Surgeon Bokaro is also aware with it, alleged the parents. He did not given any heed towards our complaint and sales are on rise here, they said.
While asking with that female paramedical staff that why you are charging against the vaccine and Immunisations card she said, we have to brought the vaccines from Chas Anumandal Hospital which is so far from hear. There is no arrangement of bringing the medicines and vaccines at the state dispensary. So we have kept a boy (private) who used to bring the vaccines from the hospital and we have to pay against it, she said adding “that’s why we are collecting money from the parents”.
Notably, from birth to 5 years of age, one child has to be administered 15 vaccines including of BCG, polio, Hepatitis-B, measles and some boosters. In Jharkhand, only 9 per cent of children ages 12-23 months are fully vaccinated compared with the national average of 42 percent, well places sources said.
The dropout rate from the first dose of DPI and polio to the third dose is as high as 50 percent. One-third of children do not receive any vaccination at all as the health department has set aside certain days in the week to provide vaccinations, sources said.
Meanwhile, many people living in the township areas are losing faith in the safety measures adopted by government hospitals; prefer private hospitals for vaccination of their infants.
The reason behind is, the vaccines supplied in government hospitals are multi-dose which can be administered to more than one kid. But the problem is after the seal of a particular vaccine is opened, it has to be consumed within 4 hours or it gets expired and contaminated.
But in government hospitals, even after 4 hours since the seal is opened, the concerned paramedical staff, ignore the expiry time, which leads to untoward situation, said Dr lalan.