TWO MIRACULOUS DROPS

19. Bhatti Women

"Deedi please leave us alone. We are afraid something will happen to our children." Some one appealed.

"Poor girl Uma has lost her child. You know Deedi, how much she suffered during her pregnancy and delivery. But for you she would not have survived. And now because of you only she lost that child; she is also dead shocked, now in the hospital." A woman was sympathetic.

"Such things never happened before. You know Deedi, we didn't stop you from giving the drops. But now things are different. We don't want to give any more drops."

"You see Ramya's child also started vomiting. Luckily the boy is okey now, but tired like a withered flower. Look she is sitting there with the child in her lap."

"Deedi, excuse us this time."

The people were not aggressive but looked firm in their resolution. Two cases in their colony were more than sufficient to scare them. It was necessary to tell them why such things happen and create awareness about the risk they were running by refusing to vaccinate. Such an exercise should have been done long before.

Announcements over microphones and display of placards have only been asking people to give the drops to their children never explaining to them face to face why and how of the whole exercise, occasional explanations by some knowledgeable ANMs notwithstanding.

"I am aware of the reasons why you are all so much disturbed. I would like to talk to all of you for a few minutes. I am not going to compel any of you to give drops to your children. You have been giving the drops for many years and now also it has been given to quite a few children. That was all because you believed it was good. Now some stray incidents have come to your notice because of which you are scared. Am I right?"

"Yes, Maulana Sa'b. You are right. We are scared. Now only we understand why some people are resisting." Prompt came the response from a senior workman.

"Can you, what is your name..?"

"Fareed"

"Fareed bhai, can you do me a favour. Call up all the people here so that I can know their problems and tell them also a few things which they should know before they decide on giving the drops. If they do not want, then it is fine. But if they must give, they should know why. Don't you think so?"

"Exactly. Ramdeen, Bachu, Paru call them all here in this shade. Let Maulana Sa'b talk. Please sir, come this side. Sorry we do not have anything to sit on except these bricks."

By the time the people arrived, Fareed made a tall enough stool with a few bricks and spread his gamcha (a thin towel) on it. Marykutty picked up some four bricks and stacked them up for her seat. Almost all the population in the bhatti, including the supervisors and clerks, assembled to hear the especial guest. Dr. Amanulla waved them to sit down and began in a slow voice.

"I am a doctor. I have been asked to meet people like you and find out whether you are comfortable with the way in which the drops are being administered. I am given the responsibility to clear your doubts. It is not my job to force you to anything. It is your wish. If you are convinced you may; if not you need not.

Let me tell you something. Have you not seen many disabled children, young men and women and some older people crawling on their knees, some dragging their lean legs, one leg or arm normal and the other lean and disfigured. Do you think that their father and mother are happy to see their children in such a state?"

"Certainly not."

"Why that thing happened to them? Because they were affected by the dangerous germs of Polio. We, including me, in our younger days believed that it was 'Bal Bath' (infentile paralysis). We did not know why it happened. In fact we knew that different kinds of Bath (Paralysis), complete and partial, affected people. But we didn't know why. Scientific research has now shown that any kind of paralysis happens when some part of the brain gets damaged. That is why when there is an accident or some one falls and gets a head injury that person either dies or survives with loss of memory and at the worst becomes paralysed. The brain is made up of small bricks called cells. These cells once dead cannot be revived. A person dies when all his brain cells are dead. Can you revive a dead man?"