Polio drive to cover over 2 lakh children in Dharwad

Dharwad: Dharwad district administration and health department have completed extensive preparations for the National Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme scheduled to be held from June 28 to July 1. With hundreds of vaccination centres, mobile teams and health workers being deployed across urban and rural areas, the district machinery is gearing up for an intensive drive to ensure that every child below five years of age, receives the polio drops.

A total of 891 vaccination centres, 92 transit teams and 57 mobile teams will participate in the campaign. Around 3,829 vaccinators and 214 supervisors have been assigned duties, while health workers will conduct door-to-door visits covering nearly 4,28,540 households across the district. The campaign targets 2,07,837 children in the 0-5 age group.

DC Snehal R directed officials to ensure foolproof implementation of the programme and stressed that no eligible child should be left out of the immunisation drive. She was speaking at the district-level interdepartmental coordination committee meeting and preparatory review meeting held at the DC’s office.

Booth-level vaccination will be conducted on June 28, followed by door-to-door visits in rural areas on June 29 and 30, and urban areas will be covered from June 29 to July 1. The meeting also reviewed preparedness to tackle seasonal diseases like malaria, dengue, chikungunya and other vector-borne illnesses during the monsoon.

District health officer Dr SM Honakeri briefed officials on the arrangements made for the campaign. ZP CEO Bhuvanesh Patil and officials from various departments attended the meeting.