As a part of pulse polio immunisation programme, over 5.63 lakh children below five years including new born babies were administered with oral polio vaccine in the twin cities and cantonment area here on Sunday.
Governor ESL Narasimhan and lady governor Vimala Narasimhan administered the polio drops to the children at Darbar Hall, Raj Bhavan, while GHMC mayor M Majid Hussain participated in the polio drops programme at UPHC Chintalbasthi, Khairtabad.
Speaking on the occasion, the governor has appealed to all the people to make use of the opportunity and see that children below five years are administered with polio drops.
He said no polio case has been reported in Andhra Pradesh since 2009 and there were no polio cases in the last 16 years in Hyderabad district. “Our aim should be to eradicate polio from our country,” he added.
As many as one crore children below the age of five years will be given polio drops in 63,766 centres across the state.
The Hyderabad District Medical and Health Office (DMHO) officials informed that over 6.50 lakh children were administered polio drops at 3,200 booths, 1,000 slums, religious places, railway and bus stations. The pulse polio immunisation programme is being taken as per the guidelines of central and state governments.
A house to house activity will be taken up on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for those children who were not given vaccine on Sunday.
As many as 85 mobile teams were pressed into service for administrating polio drops to all the children at constructions sides nomads, beggar community, temporary settlements, markets, temples, gurudwaras, churches, mosques, marriage halls, public parks like Lumbini, NTR Gardens and zoo park. Polio booths were also arranged at the transit points such as railway stations and bus stations.