State will be polio-free by next year: official

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, DEC. 3. The Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Mr. Abhijit Sengupta, has said that Karnataka has not yet become a polio-free State.

Addressing a workshop on "Polio eradication and improvement of routine immunisation" here today, Mr. Sengupta said while South Karnataka was polio-free, Northern Karnataka was not as four cases of polio had been reported from that region. "I hope by next year the entire State will be polio-free," he said. The workshop was organised by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Bangalore Branch.

Mr. Sengupta called upon paediatricians to give a "big push" to the Pulse Polio Programme. The medical fraternity should help the efforts of the World Health Organisation, the UNICEF and the Union Government to eradicate polio. "Doctors should know that without their support the programme will not be a success."

Inaugurating the workshop, the Minister of State for Medical Education, Ms. Nafees Fazal, said in keeping with the assurance given in the budget speech of the Chief Minister, as many as 100 primary health centres had been upgraded.

Urging doctors to educate and motivate people on the Pulse Polio programme, the minister said the Government had set a target to cover 10.77 lakh children in 2001. "They will be administered the drops between December 10 and January 21," she said.

Among those present were Dr. Suresh K. of the UNICEF, Dr. Naveen Thacker, convenor, Polio Eradication Programme, Dr. Y.C.Mathur, President-elect IAP, and Dr. B.M.Hegde, Vice-Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Fake passport racket busted, 5 arrested
Next     : Sangliana was never appointed STF chief