Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 08:
With the immunisation programme for pregnant mothers and children being carried out under the National Rural Health Mission by the State Family Welfare Department far behind achieving the set target, the State Government has decided to hold back the salaries of the District Family Welfare Officer (DFWO)/ District Immunisation Officer (DIO) concerned along with taking up necessary action against DIO Kangpokpi.
Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, an official source said that the step has been taken up to ensure atleast 50 percent of the target can be achieved at the rate of a minimum of 15 percent in each aWeek of the remaining three Immunisation Week observance of the current financial year.
The source informed that the decision was arrived at during a joint meeting of the officials of WHO, MACS, Family Welfare Department, DCs and CMOs on December 6.The meeting held in the conference hall of Old Secretariat and chaired by Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh took serious note of the low rate of achieving the target set (till October this year) for immunisation programme for pregnant mothers and children from preventable diseases like Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Poliomyelitis, Tetanus, Whooping cough and Measles, the source further said.
The meeting decided to stall disbursement of salaries of those DFWO/ DIO concerned who could not achieve atleast 15 percent of the target set in each of the remaining three Immunisation Week observance of the current financial year.
Apart from initiating action against ANMs and DFWOs/ DIOs/CMOs concerned who were found neglecting their duties, the meeting has also entrusted the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare to take up necessary action against DIP Kangpokpi C Doungel for his alleged dereliction of duty in the ongoing Immunisation programme.
Out of the target set for covering 50,766 pregnant mothers under the programme till October this year, only 25.31 percent have been vaccinated while out of the total 45,090 children targeted to be covered the percentage of the achieved are DPT-35.59, OPV-35.59, BCG-41.23 and Measles-31.30.Lack of awareness at the grassroots level has been cited as one of the major factors not being able to achieve the target of the immunisation programme.