Rich people urged to help immunization program

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)