CM Edappadi K Palaniswami inaugurates polio programme in Chennai

Stating that around 93 per cent of the children have been covered, Dr K Kolandaisamy, Director, Department of Public Health, said, “Door to door administration will be carried out for the next three days, besides 24x7 provision of the drops in government hospitals and primary health centres for the remaining children.”

Nearly, Rs 9.90 crore had been allotted for both rounds of the programme. “As many as 43,051 immunisation booths had been set up, besides 1,652 transit booths and 1,000 mobile booths. The mobile booths will visit brick kilns, construction sites and hilly areas,” he said, adding that the state has not recorded any polio case in the past 14 years.

Around 2 lakh personnel from the Health department, Integrated Child Development Scheme, Education and other Government Departments and volunteers participated in the campaign, which was supported by UNICEF, WHO and Rotary International. 

In the city, the Greater Chennai Corporation’s pulse polio drive saw a coverage of 94.17%. According to the civic body, out of the a totally enlisted number of 7,05,802, pulse polio drops were administered to 6,64,682. It may be recalled that 71.04 lakh children had benefited from this programme last year.