For years, polio immunisation has been conducted in a systematic manner while vaccination programmes for other diseases continue to suffer in Gujarat. While officials have figures of polio cases in the state, none of them have any idea about cases of measles or diphtheria.On the polio front, it has been a success story so far in Gujarat. From 24 cases in 2002 to just three in 2003, polio is on the wane thanks to four vaccination drives last year and six rounds are planned for this year.Dr N.K. Patel, Superintendent of Vaccinations, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), said that while as many as 5.91 lakh children are covered in the polio drive, only about 80 to 82,000 are covered in the routine vaccinations. Unfortunately, the success is limited to polio eradication. The exact figures on measles on diphtheria are not available.In Bhavnagar district alone, over 30 cases and 13 deaths due to diphtheria were recorded last year. And there were four deaths due to measles in 2003 in Surat district.‘‘With total focus on polio eradication, not much attention is being paid on other routine vaccinations,’’ said a senior doctor of Bhavnagar Civil Hospital.According to Health Department officials, many villages are yet to have even a primary health care centre. This translates into no routine vaccinations.‘‘Such villages are also covered in the polio eradication drive as the teams go there, set up a stall and conduct the drive but nothing of this sort happens for routine vaccination,’’ said an official.The official added that while the polio drive gets WHO funds, there are not much funds available for routine vaccinations.
