Rich people urged to help immunization program

JAKARTA (JP): A city health official has lashed out at the attitude of many high-income people who appeared less responsive than middle-income and low-income citizens to the implementation of the National Immunization Week program.

"This could be seen by the thousands of middle and lower- income people, mostly women, enthusiastically flocking to the posts during the first phase of the immunization program on Sept.10, bringing their infants with them," Dr. Bambang Irawan, head of the North Jakarta health office, said yesterday. "The same could not be said of high-income people. Most of them, it seems, did not have the same high awareness of the crucial importance of the program as middle and low-income citizens."

Bambang called on high-income citizens to be more active in helping make the second phase of the program, scheduled for Oct. 5, a success by showing enthusiasm for the government's nationwide campaign.

"I herewith call on people from all walks of life, regardless of their social status, to join forces with the organizers of the campaign to make the program a success. The program is a noble effort and our moral responsibility as at stake is the future of our next generation," said Bambang.

He said that during the first phase of the program health officials conducted door-to-door visits to the houses of high- income people only to be received, in most instances, by maids who told the officials their employers and their children were not at home.

"I deeply lament the attitude shown by the well-to-do. Clearly it is not conducive to the success of the program. Even I would say that by doing so, those rich people have indirectly obstructed all the efforts by the organizers for the success of the program," Bambang said.

He said because of the reluctance and low-awareness of the importance of the program on the part of most high-income people, some areas failed to reach the targets set during the first round of the program.

"In North Jakarta we only achieved 95.49 percent of the target," Bambang said.

He elaborated that the North Jakarta mayoralty during the first stage of the National Immunization Week had set the target of immunizing 141,631 under five year olds.

"But we only managed to immunize 135,243 toddlers," said Bambang.

During this year's first phase of the program the North Jakarta health office set up 1,237 posts scattered throughout 394 community units.

Many of the posts were installed at traditional markets, supermarkets and schools.

Bambang stressed that immunization was done for free, adding that he would not hesitate to take stern action if it was discovered that any health officials who were in charge collected fees from parents. (bas)