Mangalore : Deputy Speaker Yogish Bhat inaugurated the Pulse Polio Immunization Progamme organized by the DK District Health Department as part of the national pulse polio drive at Wenlock Hospital in the presence of DC Subodh Yadav; Dr. O. R. Srirangappa, the district health and family welfare officer; and other hospital authorities.
In his address, he said that, the district health department aims to immunize 1,70,721 children between 0 – 5 years of age against polio in this 2-phased drive between Jan 23 and Feb 27. A mop up operation will be held for 2 days in rural areas and for 3 days in urban areas.
Dr. Shrirangappa said that 941 booths, including 20 transit booths, have been raised all over the district as part of the drive. Each booth will have 4 volunteers involved in the task of administering the drops, and they will be monitored by 184 supervisors. The health authorities are also targeting around 1,431 kids of migrant labourers.
In his address, DC Subodh Yadav said that the last case of polio was reported in Bangalore in Nov 2007. Expressing satisfaction that polio is on the decline all over India, with only 41 cases reported in 2010, he said that the health authorities will continue their drive till there are no more reported cases of polio. He said that Pakistan, India, Nigeria, and Afghanistan are the only countries that have reported cases of polio recently. The DC concluded his address by urging MESCOM not to cut power supply during the pulse polio programme.