State will soon become polio-free

Haryana health minister Rao Narender Singh today claimed that Haryana was close to becoming a polio-free state as no new polio case had been detected here in the past three-and-a-half years. The minister gave credit for this feat to the people of the state who ensured that their children were administered doses of the anti-polio vaccine.

Haryana health minister Rao Narender Singh on Sunday claimed that Haryana was close to becoming a polio-free state as no new polio case had been detected here in the past three-and-a-half years. The minister gave credit for this feat to the people of the state who ensured that their children were administered doses of the anti-polio vaccine.

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Singh was addressing a gathering at the primary health centre of Bhora Kalan village in Gurgaon after launching the state-wide Pulse Polio campaign.

He administered drops of anti-polio vaccine to children below five years of age at the centre and said that no new case of polio had been found in Haryana since January 2010. He said though it was a positive sign that Haryana has almost become a polio-free state, people need to remain cautious, especially in the areas with major migrating population, like Gurgaon and Faridabad.

In January 2010, a polio-positive case was found in Mewat district. “After that the government as well as the parents paid attention and gave anti-polio vaccines to the children. Since January 2010, no polio case has been detected in the state of Haryana and if this condition prevails up to January 2014, Haryana will get a certificate of being a ‘polio-free state’. I hope that with the active participation of the masses, we will be able to achieve the target,” said Singh.