Is it really a Polio free world now!
National and international agencies, at present are congratulating and applauding each other, stating that “polio does not exist anymore”..! Journalists are busy in publishing interviews of the polio survivors, television channels are busy in relaying programmes about government schemes, politicians are busy in getting themselves photographed while distributing wheelchairs, celebrities are busy in posing for “do boond zindagi ke” ( two drops of life i.e. polio vaccines).
It’s a polio free world now! Polio has almost been eradicated from the surface of the earth. India has already achieved 99% eradication and only a few pockets of Polio are left behind.
But, what about the polio survivors? What about their health care? No agency, no government, no organization should ever forget that polio still exists in the form of polio survivors!
Has anybody ever thought that there are around 12-20 million polio survivors living in the world today? And a bitter fact is that out of these 20 million people, 80% have the risk of developing the symptoms of polio again in the form of Post Polio Syndrome or PPS.
This syndrome was first talked by the doctors in 1980’s in America. Some believed that the virus, which lies dormant in the bodies of polio sufferers for many years, becomes active and starts triggering symptoms. While the others are of opinion that this a consequence of abnormal re-growth of nerves damaged by the original infection.
Whatever may be the cause, it seems that polio strikes back the survivors with a painful vengeance! Those who managed to survive its initial attack, battled the effects of weak and withered limbs with iron-cage like braces and agonizing surgeries, have to fight it again after two or three decades. Wheelchairs become the only alternative for mobility and in the extreme cases there can be reliance on ventilators to supply oxygen to the weak and deteriorating lung conditions.
From my personal experience, I can say that with age, I too am feeling symptoms like unaccustomed fatigue which is in the form of tiring of muscles rapidly. Even with negligible amount of physical work my body totally feels exhausted. I feel weakness in muscles. My legs are unstable when I try to walk and sometimes they simply fail to take even a single step. There is frequent pain in muscles and joints. There is disturbance in sleep and cold temperature is unbearable and intolerable. I dread winters!
But unfortunately till this date no doctor has ever told me about Post Polio Syndrome.. Like me there are approximately 80 lakh polio survivors who are at risk of developing this syndrome across the country. Many have either been misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. On the contrary the doctors, sometimes, consider me to be too lazy for not walking and doing strenuous exercises.
The post doctoral specialists in super speciality hospitals have ill equipped expertise to handle Post Polio Syndrome in India, since many of them have not even seen symptoms of polio. Recently I remember talking to a friend, who is an MD, about Post Polio Syndrome. And to my utter dismay I came to know that they did not study even a single line about PPS during their MBBS course! So no doubt most of our physicians are ill-prepared to note symptoms indicative of post polio syndrome. They don’t even provide the polio survivors with as much information as available on the internet. With due respect to our medical professionals, I would like to say that nobody seems interested or dedicated in the research work needed in the area which effects lakhs of people!
If they have proper knowledge and proper set of training, the patients would not be misdirected to do those set of exercises and activities which might prove counterproductive. The patients would then be told take proper and healthy diet to overcome fatigue and muscle weaknesses. The patients have full right to know about their conditions and what would be coming their way in future. They would be left in oblivion if they, beforehand, know what is in store of them. They have the full right to make choices in how to spend time, energy, and financial resources.
The families would be ready to encourage and to assist the survivor in implementing the treatment plan. The patients would not experience and suffer new problems in isolation making them depressed and lose their confidence. They would then be ready to face the problems posed by PPS and polio virus would not haunt them again..!
Abha Khetarpal
