Lahaul misses Polio campaign, vaccines taken across Rohtang tunnel

MANALI: The Himachal health department forgot to conduct intensified pulse polio immunisation (IPPI) in Lahaul on January 28, leaving about 813 children deprived of polio drops. To rectify the mistake, vaccines were sent through Rohtang tunnel on Tuesday and the polio campaign will be conducted on February 4.
Since Lahaul has been cut off by road from the rest of the state since December, the health department had to procure pulse polio vaccines in advance through helicopter. Chief medical officer (CMO), Lahaul-Spiti, who has been out of the district for a long time, failed to instruct his juniors to conduct the campaign along with the rest of the country. As a result, the health department failed to procure the vaccine and had to cancel the campaign. The government did not issue a schedule for sorties to Lahaul, so the vaccines were sent to the valley via the Rohtang tunnel, which is under construction.

Lahaul-Spiti deputy commissioner Ashwani Kumar Chaudhary said the vaccine has reached the valley. "Polio drops will be administered to children below five years of age on February 4. The second phase of polio immunisation will be conducted on March 11. I have issued show-cause notice to the CMO and he will reach here anytime by chopper," he said.

The administration, in Spiti sub-division of the district, procured the vaccine from the neighbouring Kinnaur district. In Lahaul, the administration had the option of bringing the vaccine through Rohtang tunnel in advance. Another option was the Jammu-Kishtwar-Udaipur road but they preferred the helicopter.

Block medical officer, Keylong Jagdish Kumar said all preparations had been made at polio booths in Lahaul and vaccines were expected to reach the valley by chopper on January 25. But he said the flight was cancelled and the vaccine did not reach.

Health services in tribal Lahaul are in poor condition and the valley, which is cut off from the mainland in the winter, does not have enough specialist doctors and surgeons. Stuck in the snowbound valley, a number of patients have lost their lives for want of health services.

After completion of excavation in the Rohtang tunnel, people hope that patients will be taken across the tunnel in cases of emergency. But this was not to be as bailey bridge on Chandra river was removed by engineers as it is established at an avalanche prone zone. The bridge connected the tunnel with the valley in Lahaul. Still, the tunnel proved useful on Tuesday when polio vaccines were to be brought to the valley.