Minister launches pulse polio campaign in Madurai

A total of 2.66 lakh children in the age group of 0-5 years were identified for administering the oral pulse polio vaccine at a mega campaign organised by the Department of Public Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.

Inaugurating the camp at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, State Finance Minister P. T. R. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said that it was important for the children to get vaccinated. The country, he said, had been declared as polio-free nation by the WHO in March 2014.

The officials said that they had achieved over 98 per cent at the end of the day. A special drive would be conducted to give the doses to left out children on March 7. The camps had volunteers, NGOs and social workers, who helped in guiding the children, accompanied by their parents to the respective place inside the hospitals.

Apart from the GHs, all the PHCs, urban PHCs in the city limits and anganwadi centres were also giving doses through out the day.

The officials said that they had covered children in the Sri Lankan Refugee Camps too in the district. All the railway stations, bus stands and markets in the city limits had kiosks for the benefit of the children, they added.

Madurai Collector S Aneesh Shekhar, Government Rajaji Hospital Dean Rathnavel, DD Health Senthil and among others participated.