Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the polio virus. Between 2 and 10 out of 100 people who have paralysis from poliovirus infection die, because the virus affects the muscles that are needed for breathing.
Key facts:
Polio (poliomyelitis) mainly affects children under 5 years of age.
1 in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their respiratory muscles become immobilized.
Cases due to wild poliovirus have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an estimated 350 000 cases then, to 33 reported cases in 2018.
As long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk of contracting polio.
Failure to eradicate polio from these last remaining strongholds could result in as many as 200 000 new cases every year, within 10 years, all over the world.
Symptoms:
*Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus and main route of spread is faecal-oral route.
*It invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours.
*The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common source (for example, contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine.
*Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pain in the limbs.
*1 in 200 polio infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.
*People most at risk:
Polio mainly affects children under 5 years of age.
*Prevention
No cure for POLIO is available, it can only be prevented. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child from polio for whole life.
Role of Dera Sacha Sauda:
Excitement mounts as the global health and international development communities anticipate a polio-free world.
But it’s also a bitter truth that as many as 20 million continue to live with the disabling consequences of this disease.
In today’s era of inflation & competition, survival has become very difficult. Struggle for availing bread, home and livelihood is already very difficult. In a handicapped person this struggle manifolds because polio confront not only a range of physical disabilities but also significant social, financial and human rights barriers.
Even after several dedicated Immunization efforts, some individuals from poorer rural and slum communities remained unvaccinated, for whom it was not only harder to reach to the vaccination facility, more than affluent members of the population but also individuals who, if contracted polio, are less likely to have access to medical and rehabilitation programs or education, job training, employment and social support services.
In accordance to the global mission of World Health Organisation to eradicate polio universally, Shah Satnam Ji Super Speciality Hospital, Sirsa under the guidance of Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan, is paying efforts dedicatingly from a long run. For the last 12 years, Yaad’e Murshid Polio Eradication Camp is organised by Dera Sacha Sauda from 19 April to 21 April in the pious remembrance of Shah Satnam Ji Maharaj, the second successor of Dera Sacha Sauda.
Adding one more Milestone to the efforts marching day night for the sake of humanity, this year also, Shah Satnam Ji Research and development foundation, Sirsa, conducting it’s 13 th Free polio Eradication Camp in Shah Satnam Ji Super Speciality Hospital at Sirsa. This noble Polio Eradication camp is forming a strong bridge between the polio suffrers from all strata of communities and competent health care services, that too without any financial burdens. Dera Sacha Sauda is a confluence of all the religions and welcomes beneficiaries to avail world class health benefits without discriminating on any basis e.g. cast, creed and religion.
Outdoor consultations are provided by the world renowned orthopedicians and physiotherapists. Pre assessment is done & Need for polio deformity correction is explored. The selected candidates for surgery are provided with pre anasthesia checkups (PAC), free of cost Indoor admission, pre operative investigations- radiographic & Blood investigations, Medicines and surgery. Entire course of hospital stay from admission to discharge including diet is at no cost. Free calipers, gauges and artificial prosthesis are also available in this polio eradication camp. Blood donations are also done by disciples if requirement is their to save the lives of not only these polio victims but also in other disease cases. Dedicated teams of doctors, physiotherapists, nurses and other paramedical staffs are readily available for considering each aspect of patient care. If found inoperable, patients are taught different physiotherapy and yoga techniques to prevent further muscle weakness and deformity.
Extensive Physiotherapy treatment for people with post-polio syndrome is also looked after. Muscle strength training is provided satisfactorily, to reduce muscle weakness, exercises to build stamina and reduce body fatigue, walking to help limit muscle shortening.
A special campaign run by Dera Sacha Sauda under the pious guidance of Revered Saint Dr Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan, known as “COMPANION
INDEED” in which, the forgotten sections of society, by birth physically handicapped persons and other polio victims are provided with need appropriate help. Wheel chairs, artificial limbs and other prosthetic aids are commonly distributed on monthly spiritual congregation. Also, any other form of help required is given to them.
Apart from this special polio eradication camp, other monthly medical camps (parmathi Shivir) are organised free of cost at Dera Sacha Sauda at regular intervals where Doctors from all disciplines e.g. Physician, Gynaecologist, ophthalmologist cardiologist & orthopedicians etc. provide free consultations and guides for method of prevention for various diseases. In these camps also, facilities are available for blood and other investigations. Shah Satnam Ji Super Speciality Hospital is dedicated 24*7 for serving poor patients free of cost. World class ultrasonic machines and other needed advanced investigations can also be done here if required.
Nanha Farishta or the mobile hospital of Dera Sacha Sauda which is invented by Saint MSG, reaches to those remote areas where proper health infra structure is not available and provides multiple health benefits to such poor polio patients.
Inhabited in the colors of humanity, disciples of Dera Sacha Sauda, from medical stream e.g. Recreational therapist, help people reduce depression, stress and anxiety by using various art forms.
Saint Dr Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan provides the true method of meditation to millions, which is the most powerful way to relieve stress and anxiety, recover basic physical and mental abilities, build confidence and socialize effectively and develop a power to psychologically overcome this disability. Millions practised it and recovered from various deadly diseases.
The volunteers of Shah Satnam Ji Green S Welfare Force and other Dera Sacha Sauda followers use interventions, such as arts and crafts, dance, sports, teaching for sewing, cutting stitching and other recreational activities to make these polio and other physically challenged people confident, physically, psychologically & financially. The main idea is to strengthen the will to lead meaningful lives by infusing confidence in them.
Volunteers of Shah Satnam Ji Green S Welfare Force visits theirselves in slum areas and guides people for regular medical check up, to provide age appropriate vaccination to their children, to develop healthy food habits & to keep proper hygiene to avoid various diseases and ailments.
They distribute food, medicines, clothes, essential goods and even provide education, vocational training and permanent job placements as per their calibre thus permanent financial help to the poor polio and physically handicapped persons using their own funds and resources. They assist them in their regular medical check up also, if found needed.
His Holiness, Saint MSG inculcates moral values in his disciples and preaches to be compassionate and humane in our behavior towards them.
Heights of humanity crosses all limits when it comes to establish their personal lives. In one more campaign “THE BRAVEHEART DEVOUT WARRIOR” independent women are motivated to marry handicapped persons/ Polio victims of a marriageable age.
The awareness rallies are conducted to guide general public to make them conscious about quitting drugs and intoxicants and further deteriorating their health. The Initiative has achieved significant progress toward its goals.
Such inspiration and keen efforts are the aftermaths of galvanizing endeavors of one & only, Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan, who has instilled such tremendous spirit among people for humanity that it has become their religion now.
Dera Sacha Sauda, welcomes masses to participate in this free noble polio Eradication Camp and to get benefitted out of it.
Writing credits – Indu