Polio drive: Gurugram achieves over 51% target on Day 1

Gurugram district has been set a total target of administering polio drops to over 359,000 children between the ages of zero to five

The district health department on Sunday achieved over 51% of the total target for pulse polio vaccinations on the first day of a three-day campaign, officials said.

As many as 184,430 children were given the polio drops at 1,579 booths set up across Gurugram on Sunday. Officials said door-to-door vaccinations will be held to reach the target. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

The district has been set a total target of administering polio drops to over 359,000 children between the ages of zero to five. Officials said that 184,430 children were given the polio drops at the booths on Sunday.

The campaign was inaugurated by the deputy commissioner of Gurugram, Yash Garg, by giving polio doses to the children at the Civil Hospital in Sector 10. He also took stock of the arrangements made for the campaign at the Civil Hospital.

“All the departments should cooperate to make the campaign a success by working in a planned manner. I appeal to all residents that all the parents must ensure that their children, up to five years of age, get polio dose during this three-day campaign,” Garg said.

Dr Virender Yadav, the chief medical officer of Gurugram, said, “We received a good response on the first day of the campaign and achieved 51.28% of our target. On Monday and Tuesday, door-to-door visits will be done for children who could not be given the polio dose on Sunday. We have also kept in mind the migratory population of Gurugram and aim to give polio doses to their children too.”

According to the health department data, polio doses were administered at 1,579 booths set across the district. For the campaign, the district administration has deployed as many as 112 mobile teams, with over 400 areas identified as high-risk areas. In the district, a total of 5,184 vaccinators are participating in the campaign, along with the deployment of 29 transit teams and 240 supervisors.

Last Friday, the health department officials said that children of refugees from Afghanistan are also being included in the three-day pulse polio campaign.