Tanahun, December 5:

The remote Kota Village Development Committee in the southern part of the district has not witnessed a vaccination programme for two years.

Not a single vaccination campaign has been launched at Dihidanda, Bagandi, Unogi, Jaithun, Taruk, Kadip, Chherega, Jamdanda, Kaverkhola and Naram villages of Ward Nos 4, 5 and 7 for two years, locals complained today.

Women and children are not getting vaccines like the BCG, DPT and TT as one has to walk a distance for five hours to reach a sub-health post at Kotatar, headmaster of the Junodaya Primary School, Khadak Bahadur Ale, said.

According to him, health workers of the sub-health post haven’t visited the villages for a long time now due to the long distance they have to cover.

Earlier, a health worker, Shankar Raj Koirala, used to visit Chherega and Naram villages every month.

Ale said no health worker has visited the villages ever since Koirala was transferred from the sub-health post two years ago.

“Some 18 children of the age of 18 months have not received any vaccine so far in my village alone”, Ale said.

At a press conference organised in Damauli today, Ale said that most of the time the sub-health post is run by a peon Khadak Bahadur Gurung.

The people in the VDC are facing the problem as the sub-health post was not set up at a convenient place, said Bal Kumari Ale of Kota-7.

Chief of the District Health Office, Dr Kedar Prasad Senchuri, said his office has not received a single complaint of children being deprived of vaccines.

“Though a rural health worker was transferred from the sub-health post, an assistant health worker is still on duty there”, he said.

“However, we will look into the matter and if it is found that health workers are neglecting their duties, action will be taken against them,” he added.