In the border district of Kutch that is known to be prone to tuberculosis, the crucial BCG vaccine is in short supply, leading to many newborn babies not being able to get the required protection against the dreaded disease.
The precious vaccine is available normally through government supply channels.
According to the standard procedure recommended by the Indian Association of Paediatricians (IAP), the BCG vaccine has to be given to a newborn baby within seven days of birth.
The vaccine, in addition to giving protection against TB, also guards the child against leprosy. Paediatricians in the district say they often do not get the vaccine as per the need.
“We get the weekly quota of 20-vial dose from the government Rambag Hospital, which gets its supply from the chief district health officer (CDHO), said Dr Rajesh Jeswani, Gandhidham-based child specialist.
“Last week, we could not give this vaccine to neonates as we did not get our supply from the government hospital at Adipur. We were told that no stock of the vaccine was available with them as also at the vaccine chest of the CDHO’s office,’’ Dr Jeswani added.
Dr Jeswani said he and other doctors had contacted the CDHO, who reportedly told them that he would look into the issue.
According to Dr Jeswani, Kutch with sandy terrain and damp atmosphere reports a high incidence of TB.
He also said that the Revised National TB Control Programme, after a special study, had issued warning about low cure rate in the district.
The crucial BCG vaccine is administered intera dermal (between two folds of the skin) within seven days of the birth of a baby.
Dr Jeswani said poor parents who could not purchase the vaccine from the market depend on the government supply.
When contacted, the CDHO of Kutch was not available for comment. Even the pharmacist who heads the central vaccine bank for the district was also not available.