AP’s Pulse Polio Drive Records Major Success
The programme was formally launched at the Rama Rao Peta urban health centre in Kakinada by health minister Satya Kumar Yadav
VIJAYAWADA: The state-wide Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme achieved a major milestone on Sunday, with medical teams administering oral polio drops to some 40 lakh children below five years of age on Sunday.
Releasing the preliminary estimates, the health department said the remaining children would be covered through door-to-door vaccination on Dec 22 and 23.
The programme was formally launched at the Rama Rao Peta urban health centre in Kakinada by health minister Satya Kumar Yadav. The drive was successful across all 26 districts, with active participation from public representatives, district officials and frontline health workers.
The health department has set a target of vaccinating over 54 lakh children under age five. The Centre supplied 98,99,300 doses of oral polio vaccine.
Highlighting the state’s progress, Yadav recalled that the last polio case in AP was reported in the East Godavari region in 2008. The Pulse Polio programme, implemented nationwide by the central government, continues to be crucial for polio’s complete eradication.
As part of follow-up operations, 76,534 teams would visit households on Decr 22 and 23 to identify and vaccinate more children.
The minister highlighted the state’s steps to create digital health records for students, enabling better monitoring and treatment in the future. Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, nearly 69 lakh children have been screened. Some 45,000 of them were found to have minor physical deficiencies such as cleft lip and nutritional issues.
About 25,000 children received treatment at the district-level Early Intervention Centres, while 60 cleft lip surgeries were performed at the Kakinada government general hospital.
The minister said focus on Arogya Andhra was essential to achieve the Swarna Andhra vision. Around 1.35 lakh doctors and healthcare staff were engaged across the state to implement these initiatives.
Clarifying on scrub typhus, Yadav said there was no need for panic, as higher numbers of detection were due to expanded testing. He urged people to seek immediate treatment at government hospitals if symptoms appear.
Some 3,000 staff have been recruited, physiotherapists are being appointed, 50 per cent incentives are being given to specialists in tribal hospitals, and special focus is being placed on geriatric care, he said.