Over 5 lakh children to be given pulse polio

Kurnool: As many as 526,788 children below five years of age are to be covered in the second phase of the pulse polio programme on February 21, with focus on 43 Chenchu thandas.

This was stated by Joint Collector C Harikiran here on Saturday while addressing the District Task Force Committee meeting on pulse polio. District Medical and Health Officer Dr Sarada, Supervisor of Government General Hospital Dr Veeraswamy and Nandyal DCHS service doctors attended.

Addressing the meeting, the JC asked the Health department officials to seek cooperation of everyone to make the polio drive successful. He directed the ICDS Project Director and the department staff to ensure that children in all Anganwadi centres across the district are compulsorily administered two polio drops, by their personal involvement. Harikiran wanted officials to make sure that areas surrounding the polio booths were clean. He asked the district panchayat officer to arrange ‘dandora’ announcements in villages. He wanted schools to be kept open on February 21, 22 and 23 to enable students to take part in the pulse polio rally and to ensure participation of target children, while directing Deputy DEO Zohar Sultana to send SMSs to MEOs to this effect.

The JC called for constitution of special teams to cover bus-stands, railway/bus stations, apartments and high risk areas for giving the polio vaccine. He said there should be special focus on SC and ST colonies. Harikiran stressed that there should be inspection whether the drops are properly given at the designated centres in the district.

Dr Sarada told the meeting that 10,940 Health department employees were being deployed on February 21 at 2,735 centres to administer 644,000 polio vaccine doses. Besides, there would be 98 mobile teams and 273 supervisors.

Among those present were District Immunisation Officer Venkataramana, DPO Shoba Swaroopa Rani, DRDA Project Director Ramakrishna, Dr Narasimhulu and Dr Moksheswarudu.