সিভিল হাসপাতালে পালস পোলিওর সুচনা করলেন মাদ্দুরী
Pulse Polio Programme launched by Laya Madduri at Cachar

March 10: President Ram Nath Kovind launched the Pulse Polio programme 2019 on Saturday, after a postponement from the earlier February 3 date. On the eve of National Immunisation day, President administered polio drops to children less than five years old at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. More than 17 crore children of less than five years across the country will be given polio drops as part of the drive of Government of India to sustain polio eradication from the country.

At Cachar district too, Deputy Commissioner Laya Madduri kickstarted the Pulse Polio programme 2019 by administering polio drops to children below five years at a programme organised at Satindra Mohan Dev Civil Hospital, Silchar. Speaking during the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner offered best wishes to all health functionaries involved in this programme of eradication of polio. She said, “Like every year, this year too we need to successfully cover every child in the age group of 0 to 5.” She further said that not even slightest negligence should be shown in the proper implementation of this programme.

Laya Madduri in her speech also urged upon the public to involve themselves in the Pulse Polio programme 2019. “It’s our duty to ensure a healthy future of our children. The health functionaries should commit to ensure that every child in the district should be administered polio drops,” said the Deputy Commissioner.

It needs mention here that the IPPI Programme, 2019 is targeted to reach 2,77,979 beneficiaries of Cachar district aged between 0 to 5. A total of 5110 health workers will be involved in this exercise. The booth activity of giving polio drops will be on 10 March 2019 whereas house-to-house activity will be done on 11 and 12 March, 2019.

Present during the occasion at SM Dev Civil Hospital on Sunday were Dr. Sudip Jyoti Das, Dr. Pradip Kumar Roy, Dr M.I Barua, Dr. Ajit Kumar Bhattacharjee, Dr. Rima Patao among others.

The Pulse Polio campaign was introduced by the government around 1995 as part of an initiative to reach a state of complete polio eradication. Following this, the last cases of polio were reported in 2011 in the country. After a three-year observation period, the World Health Organisation (WHO) granted India its ‘polio-free’ status. The vaccines, however, continue to be administered as a precautionary measure. The immunisation programme has contributed significantly to the decline of Infant Mortality Rate from 39 in 2014 to 32 per 1,000 live births in 2017.