Bihar priests bless kids with polio drops

PATNA: Hindu priests are blessing children with polio drops instead of traditional holy water, sweets or fruits to help eradicate the crippling disease in Bihar, health officials said on Wednesday.

Bihar is one of the several states where polio cases have been reported. And last year, more than 650 cases were reported across the country. “We’re keen to wipe out polio and we thought involving temple priests would be a good idea, as people trust and listen to them,” said Gopal Krishna, a senior Bihar health official.    It is a ritual among people in Hindu-majority in India to visit temples and accept holy water, fruits or sweets from priests after prayers.   

Health officials in Bihar have trained hundreds of priests to give polio drops to immunise children, Krishna said. The state had stepped up the immunisation drive after 11 polio cases were reported this year, he said.   

Polio can cause permanent paralysis in children and is found in India, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. “I was very surprised when the priest put polio drops into the mouths of several children, including my son, as god’s blessings,” said Sunita Devi, a resident of Patna. “We trust the priest and we know that he will not cause us any harm,” she added.