CM unveils scheme to immunise children

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, DEC. 10. A new scheme will be launched by the State Government in January to motivate parents to immunise their children against all major diseases by timely administration of vaccines, the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, said here on Sunday.

Under this scheme, a vaccine plan will be circulated to all primary health centres, Government hospitals and private nursing homes specifying the various ages of the child at which a particular vaccine must be administered. Parents can collect this data and follow the schedule to immunise their children against fatal and crippling diseases.

The Chief Minister made this announcement while administering polio drops to a child during the first round of the nation-wide pulse programme at the Sanathnagar stadium. An estimated 1.20 crore children in the 0-5 years age group in Andhra Pradesh will receive polio drops today and again in the second round on January 21.

Mr. Naidu complimented health officials for achieving zero incidence of polio since last March and pointed out that even an advanced State such as Kerala had recorded several polio cases. He appealed to MPs, MLAs, non-Governmental organisations, employees and volunteers to motivate parents to bring children to polio posts and contribute their mite to eradicating the crippling disease.

Pointing out that the logistics involved in the mass, rapid and simultaneous administration of polio vaccine were almost similar to conducting a general election, he said as many as 14,728 polio posts and 345 mobile clinics had been established in the Twin Cities alone to cover six lakh infants.

Highlighting the measures taken by Government to promote primary health care, he said 625 PHC buildings had been built in the State and another 720 modernised. The Government was also leaving no stone unturned to fight malaria, Japanese encephalitis and gastroenteritis, which are diseases caused mainly by lack of public hygiene. The monthly clean and green programme was an attempt to persuade people to keep their surroundings clean, he added.

The Union Minister of State for Urban Development, Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya, said the Centre was attaching utmost importance to the pulse polio programme. He appealed to voluntary bodies and political parties to make the immunisation programme a success.

The Minister for Roads & Buildings, Mr. K. Vijayarama Rao, said the Government's underlying philosophy for development was that economic progress and human resources development, including health, must go hand in hand. The TDP MLA from Sanathnagar, Mr. S Rajeshwar, the Director of Family Welfare, Mrs. Neelam Sawhney, and other senior officials were present.

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Section  : Southern States
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