About seven lakh children would be administered polio vaccine drops under National Pulse Polio Programme (NPPP) through 5855 polio booths on 19th February and 1st April, 2012 in Himachal Pradesh. Over 11,000 functionaries of various departments would be deployed to cover all eligible children under the campaign.
Chief Secretary Rajwant Sandhu, while presiding over State- level Steering Committee meeting of Pulse Polio Immunization Programme for better inter-departmental coordination, said that continuous efforts needed to be made to eradicate the polio disease which causes permanent disability. Necessary directions have been issued to all the departments helping in Immunization Programme to make all-out efforts for the success of Pulse Polio Campaign in the State, she added.
Chief Secretary directed Social Justice and Empowerment, Education, Health, Transport Information and Public Relations, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Departments to ensure cent percent participation in training and execution activities besides giving wide publicity through all means of mass communication so that all children falling in 0-5 years of age are given polio drops.
Sandhu said that aggressive campaign should be launched to mobilise children and their parents to bring them to polio booths. She directed all the departments involved in pulse polio campaign like Education, Social Justice and Empowerment, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Transport, Public Relations, Revenue, Labour etc. to instruct all functionaries of their departments to spread the message of Pulse Polio Immunization and extend full support and cooperation in making campaign a big success in the State.
Chief Secretary said that special drive should be launched in High Risk Area especially in industrial areas like Baddi-Barotiwala, Kala Amb and Mehatpur to identify and motivate migrant labourers to send their children to the nearest polio booths. She stressed the need to bring out children living in hutment and hidden pockets in industrial and far flung areas of the State with specific action with the help of industries department for immunization. Sandhu also underlined the need to link the Parivar Registrar with immunization and enrolment for better monitoring and implementation of pulse polio campaign in future.
Dr. Diwedi, State Surveillance Medical Officer while giving a power point presentation detailed the preparedness for making this programme a success in the State. S.K. Dash, Principal Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment, SKBS Negi, Principal Secretary, Rural Development, Ali Raza Rizvi, Secretary, Health, Rakesh Kanwar, Mission Director, NHRM, Dr. D.S. Chandel, Director, Health Services and other senior officers of various departments were present in the meeting.
