A massive drive aimed at administering polio drops to around 2,26,553 children below the age of five in the undivided Khammam district got under way on Sunday.
As a follow-up measure, the pulse polio immunisation programme will be conducted in the form of door-to-door visits on Monday and Tuesday to cover the infants left out in Sunday’s drive.
In Khammam, Collector R.V. Karnan launched the programme at the SC Community Hall near Revathi Centre here. Around 3600 personnel, including the Medical and Health Department staff, were deployed to administer polio drops to 1,27,887 children at as many as 900 booths including several transit booths set up at public places such as bus stands and railway stations across the district.
In Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, Collector Rajat Kumar Saini administered polio drops to children at Gajula Rajam Basthi in Kothagudem town. Nearly 3900 staff members comprising field level health and ICDS functionaries were deployed to accomplish the task of administering polio drops to 98,666 children in the predominantly tribal populated district.
According to sources, a boat was pressed into service at a riverside village under the Parnashala Primary Health Centre limits in Dummugudem mandal to cover children inhabiting the village as part of the pulse polio immunisation drive.
Rest of State
In Siddipet, Collector D. Krishna Bhaskar commenced the pulse polio programme with more than 82,000 children in the district being administered the vaccine.In Sangareddy, Joint Collector Nikhila Reddy administered polio drops to children at BVM School.
In Nizamabad, over 1.80 lakh children under the age of five were administered polio drops at 1,017 centres across the district on Sunday. Collector M. Ram Mohan Rao inaugurated the programme at Government General Hospital, and later, at Dubba, railway station and bus station.
He said 4,000 staff members were deployed for the job, and added that in the last couple of years, not a single polio case was reported from the district.
Polio-free call
Mancherial Collector Bharati Hollikeri on Sunday called upon people to strive for achieving a polio-free nation. She inaugurated the three-day pulse polio immunisation programme which will have over 76,500 children being administered the drops. The programme was also launched in Adilabad, Kumram Bheem Asifabad and Nirmal districts.
In Rajanna-Sircilla district, polio vaccine was administered to 49,681. District Medical and Health Officer P. Chandrashekhar Rao launched the programme at Urban Health Centre in Sundaraiahnagar, Sircilla. He said 401 booths were set up for the purpose and 25 mobile teams, 57 migratory sites and deployed 1604 paramedical staff were deployed.
