Date:01/12/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/12/01/stories/2003120103020300.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Kids administered polio drops

By Our Staff Reporter

Cuddapah Nov. 30. The district Collector, Jayesh Ranjan, on Sunday launched the Pulse Polio programme at Ravindranagar here, where two children were afflicted by the crippling polio because they were not administered oral polio vaccine last year.

Speaking after administering polio drops to children at the anganwadi centre at Ravindranagar, the Collector lamented that 18-month-old Varalakshmi, the daughter of Lakshmi Reddy and three and half-year-old Murad Basha, son of Hasan Basha, of Ravindranagar, were affected by polio as they were not administered polio drops and both of them were referred to Tirupati for specialised treatment, he said.

Urging people to be wary of insanitation as it could lead to the outbreak of polio, he called upon all the people to get polio drops administered to their children. When people complained of excess power billing, Mr. Ranjan assured to direct the A.P. Transco officials to examine the electrical meters in the area and initiate steps to check excessive billing in future.

The Joint Director of Medical and Health, Rajendra Prasad, the Pulse Polio regional coordinator, Harischandra Reddy, the District Medical and Health Officer, T. Venugopal and programme in-charge, R. Venkataramana, also participated.

Later the Collector administered drops to children at Zion College of Physical Education and said the special drive was being undertaken in Cuddapah, Chittoor, Nellore, Ongole and Guntur districts.

Stating that children who could not get polio drops today, would be administered the drops at their houses on December 1 and 2, he warned that polio was a contagious disease.

Stress on polio awareness

NELLORE: The District Collector, G. Anantha Ramu, has called for proper awareness among people in tackling the menace of polio.

The official who participated in the mop-up pulse polio programme in different places of Nellore town on Sunday, informed that a target of about 3.53 lakh children, below 5 years has been set for administering the polio drops.

Accordingly 3,675 booths have been arranged and 4,60,060 doses of vaccine has been made available.

He made an appeal to all sections of society to make the pulse polio programme a success. The programme was also held in 26th ward, where polio drops were administered for about 450 children. The councillor, T. Balasudhakar and others were present.

CHITTOOR: The district Collector, Giridhar, inaugurated special pulse polio immunisation programme by applying oral polio drops to a child here at community hall Durganagar Colony in Chittoor Municipality on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion he said that special pulse polio immunisation on programme was being held in order to prevent spread of polio disease following some stray cases were spotted in some districts during this year besides regular programme in the months of January and February.

The Collector urged parents of 5 lakh children to take their wards to any of the 2,400 centres setup at different places in the districts and receive oral polio drops and prevent them from being crippled.