Collectors administer polio drops to children

Vijayawada: NTR district collector Dr G Lakshmisha said that just two drops of the polio vaccine can ensure a healthy and secure future for children. He stated that the State government is implementing several welfare and health programmes to realise the vision of a healthy, prosperous, and happy Andhra Pradesh.

As part of the Pulse Polio programme, the collector visited a polio booth at the Chunduri Venkata Reddy Municipal Corporation (CVRMC) High School at Governorpet in Vijayawada on Sunday and personally administered polio drops to children. He also toured Rotary Nagar and HB Colony to supervise the programme and review its implementation.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Lakshmisha said that collective efforts are being made to achieve the goals of Swarna Andhra and Viksit Bharat by strengthening public health systems. Though polio has been eradicated, he stressed the need for continued vigilance and urged parents to ensure that all children below five years of age receive polio drops without fail. He informed that house-to-house surveys would be conducted on December 22 and 23 to cover children who missed the vaccination. The programme is being implemented with the coordination of the Medical and Health, Revenue, Panchayat Raj, and Municipal departments. Special vaccination points have been set up at bus stations, railway stations, hospitals, and health centres. Joint collector S Ilakkiya, DM&HO Dr M Suhasini, DIO Dr Sharath Babu, Vijayawada RDO Kavoori Chaitanya, Nandigama RDO K Balakrishna, and Tiruvuru RDO K Madhuri participated in the programme and issued guidelines to ensure its success.

Meanwhile, in Krishna district, district collector DK Balaji also participated in the Pulse Polio programme. He visited Sri Panduranga Municipal High School at Chilakalapudi and personally administered polio drops to children. Accompanied by his wife Prudhvi, he also administered the drops to his son, setting an example. During the visit, he noticed a dental issue in a child and immediately directed health officials to ensure proper treatment.

The collector said there are 1,45,588 children below five years of age in the district and that 1,153 polio booths have been set up.