'Polio-free city is BMC’s responsibility'

Government has also directed authorities to demark pockets with migrating population.

Polio eradication in Mumbai is the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) responsibility, says the Maharashtra government.

Though the state has chalked out a comprehensive immunisation programme by covering seasonal and construction workers (floating population) entering into the city, it claims that the primary responsibility of immunisation lies with the respective civic body as per the Bombay Municipal Corporation Act.

The state has also directed local authorities on the district level, on a war footing, to demark pockets with floating and migrating populations for cent per cent polio immunisation.

“Outbound trains, railway stations, bus stands and sites with floating populations are being targeted to make sure that the virus is not spread by passengers entering into the state,” says Dr Vijay Satbir Singh, principal secretary with the state Public Health Department.

Dr Singh adds that concerned district officials will be held accountable if they fail to regulate immunisation rates. But he trashes the idea of issuing or demanding certificates or health cards from travellers. “Apart from routine immunisation programme for every child, pulse polio programmes are held periodically covering 1.2 lakh children below the age of 5,” he explains.

There are 1,800 primary health centres in the state. Each centre caters to 30,000 people in the rural areas. “These centres now will be assisted by other local bodies like Anganwadis,” Dr Singh says. “With the help of hospitals, medical colleges and health posts in Mumbai, BMC should take care of its immunisation.”

The state Public Health Department spends about Rs16 lakh on National Immunisation Day, which is held twice a year, says Dr SB Chavan, additional director.

A source within the agency is also concerned about reports in Urdu newspapers that caution people from going to immunisation drives, claiming that polio immunisation causes brain tumour and other ailments. “They have been doing this every time we conduct the immunisation programmes,” he says.

Facts of the matter: Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine in 1950. Salk and another researcher, Albert Sabin, were rivals in the effort to produce the first and safest vaccine. Salk got his vaccine using an inactivated form of the virus, into production first, and the field trial was conducted in 1954.

In 1921, Franklin Roosevelt, who later became the president of the United States, contracted polio at the age of 39.

In the 1940s, an Australian army nurse, Elizabeth Kenny, proposed treating afflicted limbs with massage, exercise and warm, moist heat. Today, Kenny's therapy, which took years to gain acceptance, is still used to stimulate muscles.