92 per cent administered polio vaccine in Madurai

The IPPI project is being conducted on two days every year to maintain a polio-free country. This year, January 28 and March 11 were selected as days for administering pulse polio vaccine. 

In Madurai, State Minister for Cooperation Sellur K Raju and District Collector K Veera Raghava Rao inaugurated the pulse Polio vaccine programme at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Munichalai in Madurai. 

Later, State Revenue Minister RB Udayakumar along with the Collector inspected the pulse polio administering work at a PHC in Perunkudi in Madurai and also administered Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to the children who were brought. 

In Madurai district, a total of 3.05 lakh children will be covered under the IPPI program and out of them 2.80 lakh children were administered OPV on the first day. Two drops were administered to children and an ink mark was placed on their fingers to identify the recipients. 

For the purpose of administering OPV, as many as 1,705 centres had been set up in Madurai. Apart from 15 mobile booths and 39 transit booths three mobile booths were also set up along the toll gates. On Monday and Tuesday, the health workers would visit houses of those who had not taken part in the programme and administer OPV for children. 

In Coimbatore, more than 1.5 lakh children, below five years, were given polio drops on Sunday. 

The drops were administered in the Corporation limits in government hospitals, primary health care centres, polio drop booths attached to the noon meal centres and many other public places between 7 am and 5 pm. Specially formed teams of health staff reached out to migrant labourers and residents and administered polio drops to their children. 

The civic body had taken special efforts to establish booths at bus stands and railway stations to cover children of neighbouring states also. “Of the targeted 1, 61,787 children in the Corporation limits, polio drops were administered to 1, 59,522 children in a single day (Sunday). This is about 98.6 per cent,” revealed a Corporation official.

As many as 8,324 staff were involved in providing polio drops to 3.74 lakh children (1 to 5 years) in Vellore district on Sunday. District Revenue Officer D Sengotayan administered the first drops at the Uthiramadha middle school where tahsildar S Balaji and Public Health DD Dr K Suresh were present. 

The intensive campaign included provision of polio drops at 2791 locations in the district including 70 camps in bus terminals and railway stations, 14 in remote hill areas and another three in Wallajahpet, Pallikonda and Vaniyambadi toll plazas in the district. 

Parents of children who were unable to avail of polio drop programme on Sunday were advised to approach the nearest PHC (Primary Health Centre) or government hospital. A total of 400 supervisors oversaw the entire proceedings, officials said.