Ignored or Ingnorant People ?
Subject of Self Appraisal of Government policy for migrant people.
Health and Family welfare department of Government of India has initiated a intiative called 'Mission Indradhanush' to vaccinate unvaccinated children of the country in four phases.During the third round of this intiative,I was fortunate to visit a Tentage of migrant people of Gujarat state.I with paramedical staff took visit to that place.It was located on Rasnal road of Dhasa Gam village of Botad district.
Nearly one hundred and fifty people along with their children were living there since about more than one month.All of them were come from far places for employement as labourers during this winter season.As most of crop flourish during this season,there huge demand for agricultural labour works in this area.So they come everytime during this season for good earnings.
On my visit,I was to supposed to teach them to vaccinate their unvaccinated children.But I fount different scenario other than I expected.We tought them to why vaccination is important for children and how it prevents from diseases.On first impression,they were reluctant to believe teaching.But most of them agreed and we scheduled a special vaccination session in that area.But at the time of session,none of the parents visited session site.So once again paramedical staff with RBSK doctor visited their camp and requested them to vaccine their children for good benefits.And somehow,some of them agreed and our staff vaccinated their children.When I got a report of vaccinated children against not vaccinated children,I was stunned to believe our efforts to persuade them to vaccinate their children.I felt we might not had tried enough to teach them and so again I decided to visit their Tentage.
In mean time to reach them, I thought on reason behind their refusal to vaccinate and I firmed to eradicate their their belief for vaccination.So during my tents to tent visit,I found some of the key facts about those people.
- In most of the tents mothers were present along with children.Husbands were on work.At all husband were main earners.
- Most of the delivery of babies had been done in private hospitals.It was a big surprise for me.As most of people were looking like below poverty line people,they were inclined to go at private hospital for labour pains and delivery of babies. A reason behind this fact was that in private hospital,their wives have to suffer less.In government hospitals,staff not giving enough attention to their on labour pain women and they have to suffer more.
- on every visit to tent,We found women answering in absence of men.They denied vaccination due to orders by men for non acceptance of vaccination.It suggesting less acceptance of idea of women and less involvement of women in decision making process of family.It may be indicating towards violence against women.
All of facts were supporting factors were responsible for no acceptance among those people.
One of the major key factor I found was illiteracy among them.As highly migrating community,nobody was educated enough to read native Gujarati language.So how can anyone among them think logic behind the vaccination?How can they understand how does vaccine prevent against deadly diseases?Most of them believe that injectable vaccine make their children Polio affected.We tried our best efforts to overcome their misconceptions regarding vaccination.But our efforts have us zero result.
So it was all about Tentage story.We felt tribal people better than them.It was hard to believe people living with such mindset in recent time.It indicating towards Government to form a better policy to educate them and eradicate those misconceptions among them.
Waiting for the day,A Politician or A bureaucrat addressing for this issue??
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