We come across news reports almost on a daily basis about polio cases being reported from different parts of Pakistan. Despite all-out efforts of the government and police, polio teams often come under attack and so far many policemen and polio volunteers have lost their lives. Let alone the remote areas of the country, even urban centres like Karachi are not spared.
Reports of attacks on polio teams and the rise in the cases of polio across the country often compel other countries to make oral polio vaccination mandatory for Pakistani nationals traveling abroad. Some government hospitals in Karachi and a polio kiosk at the airport used to administer polio drops to children and adults before their international departure. A yellow card was also issued to passengers having taken oral polio drops. Moreover, a NADRA desk was established at government hospitals and NADRA staff would update the polio vaccination record. Upon payment of Rs100 to NADRA online, a polio certificate with one year validity would be issued.
This practice continued for a year or so, but now, no government hospital is administering polio drops to passengers traveling abroad and NADRA staff is also missing from the government hospitals they used to operate from. Passengers traveling abroad are now completely in the dark as they do not know which government hospitals to go for taking polio drops and where to get NADRA certificate from unless polio vaccination record is updated. Federal and provincial governments must take immediate notice of this situation.
M RAFIQUE ZAKARIA
KARACHI
