The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : 66.8 lakh children administered polio drops in Tamil Nadu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 22, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

66.8 lakh children administered polio drops in Tamil Nadu

R.K. Radhakrishnan

Karunanidhi inaugurates second round of the pulse polio campaign Karunanidhi inaugurates second round of the pulse polio campaign

SHOWING CONCERN: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi administering polio drops to an infant at his residence in Chennai on Sunday. — Photo: S. R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Sunday inaugurated the second round of the pulse polio campaign, administering polio drops to an infant at his Gopalapuram residence.

Across the State, Ministers, bureaucrats, government employees and non- governmental organisations ensured that 93 per cent (66.8 lakh) of the targeted children, below five years of age, received immunisation.

This is lower than the achievement in the first round held on April 9, when 72 lakh children were administered the vaccine. In Chennai, the coverage was 84.4 per cent.

House visit

But health officials said they would cover all children below five years. Over the next two days, two lakh government employees will visit every house to ensure all children are immunised.

"Tomorrow our staff will go to each house. Each staff will have to cover 80 houses," a senior official explained. "In the houses where the children have been vaccinated, we will mark `P'. In the houses where the children have not been ... , we will mark `X'. The immunisation may not have been done because the family was away. Once the family comes back, we will enquire if the child has received the drops anywhere. If not, we will administer," the official said.

Enthusiastic participation

On cooperation from government employees of other departments, officials said they had excellent rapport with local body staff members and others in the field.

And, since the issue related to a crippling disease, most worked with enthusiasm and took extra interest to complete the task. Many self-help groups too had come forward to help in the drive.

40,390 booths

Health Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran said 50,000 health department employees and volunteers manned 40,390 booths across the State. Booths, with adequate cold-chain protection for the vaccines, were put up in railways stations, bus stands and other public places.

A few mobile booths functioned to cater for those who could not access a hospital or booths.

The State is polio-free since February 2004. It is to sustain the status two rounds of campaigns have been planned this year.

The campaign was started in Tamil Nadu in 1995-96. As many as 11 series of campaigns has been conducted so far.

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