KARACHI, May 15: More than 90 medical students of Fourth Year MBBS from the Sindh Medical College went door to door with the EPI staff and doctors from the Community Medicine Cell, Provincial Health Department, to assess the coverage undertaken during the recently held sub-national immunization days focussed on administration of oral anti-polio vaccines.

They found that around 30 children in different areas had not been vaccinated either due to the un-willingness of parents or the inability of concerned vaccinators to reach them, being in extremely congested locality.

Dr Mukkaram Ali, Programme Coordinator of the SMC, in a statement on Monday said that kids found un-vaccinated were administered drops at the site by the EPI staffers accompanying the SMC team.

The exercise was initiated in close collaboration with the Rotary Club of Karachi, under the supervision of Rotarian Masood Ahmed. At the very onset, Dr Zubair Agha of the EPI Sindh gave a presentation on polio and post-polio evaluation. It was well-attended by students and doctors.

Town health officers and officials from the Karachi district health office and EPI Sindh including Dr Malik, Dr Haroon, Dr Said Fatima, Dr Mehboob, Dr Pasha, Dr Ejaz accompanied the students.

The SMC students visited Awan Colony, Islamia Colony No II, and different urban slum settlements. The children not covered under the campaign were administered the OPV.

The SMC staffers including Dr Subhash Chander, Dr Ghazala Usman, Mrs Zakia Askari and Programme Coordinator, Dr Mukkram Ali supervised the students.

It was observed that a tailored programme developed on the pattern of EPI strategy had proven to be a great success as different agencies co-ordinated with each other.

Dr Mukkaram Ali observed that the difference was found to be in the level of dedication.

Elaborating his stance, he said doctors, who were comparatively more educated, held a better level of awareness at all levels and experienced almost no refusal at the doorstep.

Letters of appreciation were given to the participating students by the EPI and the Rotary Club.—APP