IMPHAL, January 19: State Health Society, Manipur State Mission Director Dr Okram Ibomcha Singh launched the first round of the Intensified Pulse Polio Immunization at the Family Welfare Services, BT Road today.
The programme was also attended by addl director, Family Welfare Services Dr K Rajo Singh as the president and addl director of State Health Services Dr A Ibochaoba and JNIMS gynaecologist Dr Ch Nabakanta as the guests of honour.
The programme is jointly organised by the directorate of Family Welfare Services and the State Health Society, Manipur.
Addressing the key-note address, Dr Ph Rameshwar Singh said India has been free of polio cases and will soon be declared a polio free country by March.
However, Pakistan and Afghanistan has still polio cases, while in neighbouring country China that has been free of polio but in 2011, polio cases began to reappear again, he said.
He said the target of the first round immunization is to provide polio drops to 360911 children between the age of 0-5 year, with 3609 booths, and more than 100 camps at bus stops, market areas, etc opened for the day.
If a child is affected by polio, the child will be affected lifelong, so the parents need to be extra careful of their babies, said Okram Ibomcha.
The three-day nation-wide Intensified Pulse Polio Immunization was inaugurated in Thoubal district today by deputy commissioner, T Ranjit at his office complex.
Speaking at the programme, the DC said that the target of the campaign is to vaccinate a total of 57000 children in the age group of 0-5, for which 462 vaccination booths have been opened in the district with 1848 vaccinators available.
On the second and third day of the campaign, the vaccinators will move door to door to vaccinate the children who could not come to the booths on the first day.
The campaign was also launched today at Jiribam sub-division by the Community health Centre, Jiribam with a target of covering 6000 children.
74 booths have been opened with 12 supervisors in the presence of MO i/c Dr G Sonachand Sharma and Dr M Amarjit Meitei.
The District Health Society Bishnupur also launched the campaign at the District Hospital campus.
The campaign was launched by DC Jason A Shimray.
The target for the district is to cover 30955 children for which 263 booths and 25 transit booths with 1052 man-power have been opened.