Government prepares huge anti-polio campaign<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Health will set up 275,000 posts
\nthroughout the country for a nation-wide anti-polio drive which
\nwill commence next Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Minister of Health Sujudi told reporters here yesterday that
\nthe posts will be established in every neighborhood, public
\nhealth center, hospital, bus station, kindergarten and other
\npublic place.<\/p>\n
The country's 27 provincial administrations, together with the
\nprivate sector and the general public, will work together to set
\nup the posts, he said.<\/p>\n
To support the program, which is addressed to children of
\nmaximum five years of age, the ministry has recruited 825,000
\nvaccination personnel and 90,000 supervisors, Sujudi said.<\/p>\n
\"Both the personnel and supervisors include activists of
\nwomen's and social organizations, teachers and scouts,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Their training finished last month and they are now ready to
\ncarry out the program, which will start next week, he added.<\/p>\n
According to Sujudi, the ministry has developed a recording
\nand reporting system for the observation and operation of the
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
\"The system was tested on Aug. 31 and so far the result is
\nsatisfactory,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The ambitious program to eradicate polio will be kicked off by
\nPresident Soeharto from his residence in Menteng, Central
\nJakarta, on Sept. 13. The President is scheduled to insert the
\nvaccine into a child's mouth. The same ceremony will be repeated
\nat the residence of Vice President Try Sutrisno an hour later,
\nSujudi said.<\/p>\n
The first phase of the program will last until Sept. 19. The
\nsecond will take place from Oct. 18 until Oct. 24. The program
\nwill be repeated next year and in 1997, he added.<\/p>\n
Sujudi said that the implementation of the program in Java,
\nBali and the capital cities of other provinces will take only a
\nday or two.<\/p>\n
\"Bali has said that it will finish the program within a day,\"
\nhe said. The minister expects Yogyakarta to follow suit.<\/p>\n
To support the program, Sujudi said, the government needs Rp
\n45 billion (US$20 million).<\/p>\n
\"Out of the figure Rp 23 billion comes from the central
\ngovernment and local administrations, Rp 6 billion is foreign aid
\nand Rp 16 billion comes from the private sector,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Sujudi the state-owned Bio Farma pharmaceutical
\ncompany in Bandung produced 3.2 million vials of the polio
\nvaccine last month to support the program.<\/p>\n
The company has also provided buffer-stock for the program, he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Sujudi said he hoped that one or two days before the start of
\nthe program the vaccine will have arrived at the posts. \"The
\nArmed Forces has agreed to help us in providing transportation to
\nreach isolated places.\"<\/p>\n
About 21.7 million children will be immunized in the first
\nphase of the program. It is free of charge, he said.<\/p>\n
Sujudi denied reports that the Aceh provincial administration
\nhad collected money from the people for the program.<\/p>\n
\"The local office of the ministry of health has stated that the
\nmoney will not be used for the anti-polio drive but for another
\nhealth program conducted by PKK, the government-sponsored family
\nwelfare program.\"<\/p>\n
\"Next year we expect the budget will decrease to between Rp
\nfive and 10 billions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The great sum needed for this year's program is due to fact
\nthat the government has to provide equipment, such as vaccine
\ncarriers and ice packs, which are quite expensive, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We can use this equipment next year and this will help reduce
\nthe budget,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He also expressed the hope that wealthy people will also bring
\ntheir children to the anti-polio posts to be vaccinated.<\/p>\n
Sujudi said that he is optimistic that the program will be
\nsuccessful and will be able to reach the target set by the World
\nHealth Organization.<\/p>\n
The international agency has decided the world should be free
\nof polio by the year 2000.<\/p>\n
According to Sujudi, his ministry will conduct an anti-measles
\nimmunization program after the current drive. That will be
\nfollowed by an anti-tetanus drive for pregnant mothers. (05)<\/p>",
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