Hepatitis-B campaign
Sir,
Hepatitis-B
vaccination campaign was started by the
Directorate of Health Services, J&K to render
J&K, the first State in India to be
Hepatitis-B free. On paper and for the purpose of
a good show this was enough but a number of
questions strike the mind about the success and
the motives behind the campaign.
Firstly, the
programme has been launched by the State
Government itself. There is no central Government
direction and no plan from the centre. This
itself casts doubts about the success of the
campaign since no nodel exists which could be
followed to make the State Hepatitis-B free.
Secondly, no
target groups have been or can be selected for
vaccination since all ages are susceptible. This
means all people of the State should get
vaccinated which implies that a door to door
campaign has to be launched, and in a State where
even the polio and BCG coverage is not adequate,
how can the Government proceed is beyond
comprehension.
Thirdly there is
not enough public awareness about the programme
and about the disease itself. Obviously, why
should one get vaccinated when the knows nothing
about a disease.
Forth, the
immunity of the vaccine lasts only for 5 years
and a booster dose has to be given after this
period. How is the Government going to schedule
the vaccination is not clear even when the days
for the routine Hapatitis-B vaccination have not
been fixed.
Fifth and the most
important factor is the cost of the vaccine. It
is unwise to start a public vaccination programme
on payment, why then should it be started by the
Government? why not get vaccinated privately? In
a State, where people do not come forward for
free vaccination, how does the Government expect
people to get vaccinated on payment.
Sixth, even in the
State itself, the authorities have contacted no
experts for making the plan feasible. At lease
the community medicine departments of all the
medical colleges should have been asked since
they are the experts in this field. Besides, as
already mentioned enough public awareness is a
must before the launching of any programme.
It is sad that
even in a so-called democratic set up, things are
thrown upon the public and they are asked to
accept them and this is reason of failure of most
of the programme. It is more unfortunate in
health sector since it concerns the health of
public which is a very important parameter for
the development. But this is not surprising. In
our State particularly in peripheries doctors
frequently inject water into the patients body
because of the lack of the medicine supply.
Similarly iron and vitamin tablets are the best
antibiotics, anti-malarial, and even anti cancer
for rural people just because nothing more is
available.
So the campaign of
making the State Hepatitis-B free has been
launched and it is crystal clear that it will do
nothing than to serve the purpose of the
pharmaceutical companies who manufacture these
vaccines.
Yours etc...
Shameem Khan
Students of MBBS
GMC Jammu.
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