Coimbatore: Polio drops were administered to children below five years of age across 1,615 centres in Coimbatore district on Sunday, with camps set up in urban and rural areas and at major transit points such as bus stands, railway stations and the airport.The drive was inaugurated at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital by Tamil Nadu backward classes welfare minister S Sampathkumar. Speaking to reporters, the minister said 491 centres were established in urban areas and 1,124 in rural areas, taking the total to 1,615. He said around 2.97 lakh children were expected to benefit from the drive.He urged parents and guardians to make use of the camps and support efforts to build a polio-free world. AIADMK MLA Leema Rose Martin and others participated in the launch.At the Seethalakshmi urban primary health centre in Coimbatore, children who arrived for immunisation were given toys and other play items. Saplings were also distributed.A special camp was also held at the Walayar check-post on the Tamil Nadu–Kerala border. Health workers and police identified families crossing into Tamil Nadu from Keralam and other states and ensured polio drops were administered to eligible children travelling in buses, cars and other vehicles.
