Pulse polio campaign held in Madurai

MADURAI: Death of a one-and-half-year-old child shortly after he was administered polio drops on Sunday set off panic in a Theni village. The incident happened near Devadanapatti in Theni district. Medical officials however claimed the child died due to some other reason.
The deceased child has been identified as Pandi, son of one Sasikumar of Manjalaru village.He died within an hour after he was given polio drops, though he was rushed to a nearby hospital by his mother Sukanya as he developed health complications. Doctors who checked the child said he was brought dead. His body was shifted from Devadanapatti Government Hospital to Theni Medical College and Hospital for autopsy.
Health officials said that as many as 85 children were administered the immunization drops at the centre where Pandi was brought. All other children are fine, they said. When the news spread in the nearby villages, panic-stricken mothers brought their children to nearby hospitals.
Dr P Kanchana Devi, deputy director of health services, denied the possibility of death due to polio drops. Talking to media she said that the reason for the child's death has not been ascertained so far. Only after the autopsy report it can be ascertained, she said.
Meanwhile, as many as 2.95 lakh children less than five years were administered the oral drops in Madurai district on Sunday. For the first time in Madurai district, volunteers and healthy officials camped at toll gates for administering the oral polio drops to children. As many as 2,600 children passing through the toll gates from various districts were covered, said Dr S Senthil Kumar, deputy director of health services, Madurai district.
Health officials had made elaborate arrangement for the vaccination drive within Madurai city and other parts of the district. About 96.5% of the total target of 3.06 lakh children was covered on Sunday. Around 7,000 employees from various departments along with volunteers took part in the campaign across the district.
Within the Madurai corporation limits, 271 centres including 17 special centres and two mobile units, were in place. About 1.15 lakh children were provided with the immunisation drops in the city. Health workers were stationed at bus terminals and places of worships. Around 1,084 personnel, including corporation workers and volunteers from various organisations, were involved in the campaign. V Yasodhamani, city health officer, and Kiran Gurrala, commissioner of Madurai Ccorporation inspected the immunisation.
The Madurai division of Southern Railways also conducted immunisation camps in railway hospital and railway colony. Besides, polio booths were set up in Dindigul, Palani, Pollachi, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Sengottai, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Rameswaram, Manamadurai and Karaikudi railway stations.