The Hindu : New Delhi News : ‘Govt. committed to making Delhi polio-free’

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Sunday, Jul 06, 2008
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‘Govt. committed to making Delhi polio-free’

Staff Reporter

— Photo: S. Subramanium

EVERY DROP COUNTS: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit administering polio drops to a child during the Pulse Polio programme at her residence in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday launched another round of pulse polio campaign in the Capital by administering anti-polio drops to children at her Motilal Nehru Place residence.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Dikshit asserted that her government was committed to making Delhi a polio-free State.

‘Role model’

“We are all set to make the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme on Sunday a success. It would be ensured that no polio virus enters the Capital. For making a strong nation, we must have strong children and that would only be possible with the success of the polio programme. Our State has shown better results in this field. Being a pioneer in the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme, Delhi is regarded as a role model and it would continue to strive hard to completely eliminate polio.”

The Chief Minister said Delhi initiated the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme in 1994 and launched house-to-house “Search and Immunisation Programme” in 1999. For making these programmes successful, Ms. Dikshit complimented officials of the Health Department for their efforts in overcoming the threat of polio in the city.

The Chief Minister exhorted parents to come forward and take their children up to five years for immunisation to booths.

Pointing out that the Delhi Government had made elaborate arrangements to make the programme successful, Health Minister Yoganand Shastri said 7,500 booths would be put up across the city this Sunday (July 6) to administer polio vaccine to children up to five years.

“Around 30,000 workers and employees of the Health Department would be deployed around the Capital from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stalls would be set up at railway stations, inter-State bus terminus, public places, major temples, metro stations, Millennium Park, Delhi Zoo and outlets of McDonald’s.”

The Minister said a door-to-door weeklong survey would also be conducted under the search and immunisation pulse polio campaign. “Around 17,000 workers in 8,600 teams would visit different colonies including the slum and jhuggi-jhonpri clusters to search leftover cases and administer polio drops to the children.”

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