Hyderabad: Health minister Damodar Raja Narasimha on Friday reviewed preparations for the statewide Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme scheduled to be held on June 28, directing officials to ensure that every child aged below five years receives two drops of the oral polio vaccine. At a review meeting with senior health department officials at the Rajiv Arogyasri office in Jubilee Hills, he emphasised that no child should be left out of the campaign.Officials informed the minister that polio drops would be administered at 22,979 booths across the state on June 28, followed by door-to-door visits on June 29 and 30 to cover children who missed the initial round. Considering the large urban population in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Sangareddy districts, he suggested extending the campaign by an additional day on July 1.The programme aims to vaccinate around 40.97 lakh children across Telangana, with 52.04 lakh doses of the bOPV vaccine supplied to districts. Around 8,393 ANMs, 27,181 Asha workers, 34,442 Anganwadi workers, besides nursing students, teachers and volunteers, will participate in the drive.The minister directed officials to focus on children of migrant workers and those in brick kilns, construction sites, urban slums, new colonies and tribal areas. Urging parents to bring all children below five years to the nearest polio booth, he said every eligible child should receive the vaccine, even if they had been immunised earlier, to help maintain Telangana’s polio-free status.
