CHIEF SECRETARY Naveen Chandra Bajpai said here on Thursday that an officer of principal secretary rank would be deputed in the districts of West Uttar Pradesh to monitor the polio immunisation drive on September 10.
Bajpai reviewed the preparation for the immunisation drive in each district through video conference with the divisional commissioners and district magistrates. He directed the officers to take assistance of the social organisations, religious leaders and senior citizens in the immunisation programme.
Earlier talking to the media persons, the principal secretary (Medical Health and Family Planning) Arun Kumar Mishra said in view of the rise in number of polio cases, the strategy for immunisation drive was reviewed. A micro plan was prepared to make the immunisation drive successful, he said.
“The aim is to immunise four crore children. We have planned to set up 1.7 lakh booths, depute 57,000 volunteers for house-to-house contact, deploy 8,250 transit teams and 250 mobile teams. Around 3.50 lakh people will be directly involved in the immunisation programme,” Mishra said.
Mishra also said that even after several rounds of immunisation drive, fresh cases were being reported from various districts as several children were not administered polio drops. Besides, poor nutrition level of the children in rural areas, immunity level of each childwas different and routine immunisation programme was not organised regularly. Hence, fresh cases of polio, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Mishra also said that even after several rounds of immunisation drive, fresh cases were being reported from various districts as several children were not administered polio drops. Besides, poor nutrition level of the children in rural areas, immunity level of each childwas different and routine immunisation programme was not organised regularly. Hence, fresh cases of polio, he added.
{{/usCountry}}The majority of polio cases were reported from the Muslim-dominated areas, he said.
Regional coordinator of WHO Dr SK Pathyarch said, “Merely six per cent of the new-born were registered and we do not know how many children are to be immunised. The number of children to be immunised in each drive is based on mere assumption.”
“Even the doses administered to the children are inadequate and people are fatigued with long immunisation drive,” he added