First phase of pulse polio campaign

Minister for Information Technology M. Manikandan administering polio drops to a child in Ramanathapuram on Sunday.

Ramanathapuram

Minister for Information Technology M. Manikandan launched the 2019 pulse polio campaign in the district by administering polio drops to children at the public health centre here on Sunday in the presence of Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao and public health department officials.

In the first phase of the campaign, a total of 1,21,398 children below the age of five years were administered polio drops in 1,229 centres with the help of 4,192 health workers, officials said. The district administration has set up 27 special camps to cover children in bus stands, railways stations, shopping complexes, markets and important public gathering places.

It also pressed into service 33 mobile units to ensure that all children below the age of five years in the district were administered the drops. Children in the camp for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees at Mandapam were also covered, officials said.

Deputy Director of Public Health B Kumaragurubaran and Project Officer, Integrated Child Development Services, D. Rajkumar were among others present.

In Sivaganga, Minister for Khadi and Village Industries Board G. Baskaran launched the campaign in the presence of Collector J. Jayakanthan by administering the drops to children at a special camp at the bus stand. An estimated 1,31,950 children below the age of five years were being covered in the first phase, officials said.

The district administration established 1,270 centres and 61 mobile units. More than 5,500 government employees and health workers were involved in the exercise which began at 7 a.m, officials said. Joint Director (Health) Dr. Yasodhamani, Deputy Director Dr. Vijayan Madamadaki and revenue and medical officers were present.