MULTAN, Aug 26: A monitoring report of the three-day polio eradication campaign has accused the health department of negligence in universal immunization.

The report is prepared by an NGO, Awaz Foundation Pakistan, in the light of observations made by a three-member team comprising social welfare officer Zahid Ali, Aziz Ahmad of the Society for the Uplift programme and Robina Hassan Diwan of the Awaz Foundation.

The team visited Basti Balocha, Cha Korreywala, Mohallah Islampura, Shamsabad, Wahdat Colony, Danbrowali Basti, Cha Munshiwala, Dault Gate and Bawa Safra and found that most of the people did not even know about the campaign.

It is alleged in the report that there was neither any banner nor poster in the areas, which could remind the people of the polio immunization days. The team observed that the mobile teams visited the houses situated alongside the main roads, but they did not enter streets and link roads.

A majority of the people in slums were unaware of the campaign and if someone had knowledge of it, the teams could not reach them, the report said, also criticizing the 'poor follow-up.'

When contacted, EDO (Health) Dr Abdul Hameed Chughtai said the department had held a meeting with the EDO (community development), social welfare officers and representatives of NGOs to urge them help mobilize people and resources to make the campaign successful.

He said it was decided at the meeting that the officials of the social welfare department and NGOs would inform the health department about any shortcomings so that these could be rectified well in time.

"It is ironic that they are publicly raising objections without first bringing the flaws, if any, into the notice of relevant corners," he added. Dr Chughtai said he would personally visit the areas where the health teams could not reach.