Fresh polio case reported, immunisation drive preponed

Varanasi, Sep 3 (UNI) The health department here has preponed the pulse polio immunisation drive slated for September 10, in the wake of a fresh polio case being reported from the minority community dominated Reori Talao locality.

Chief Medical Officer A P Singh, confirming a fresh case of polio in Reori Talao area on Friday last said the next phase of the polio immunisation drive slated for September 10 has beenpreponed for tomorrow.

''Eleven-month-old Mehnaz was tested positive for the crippling disease on Friday last and the entire pulse polio immunisation team led by Dr A K Rai has been suspended by District Magistrate Rajiv Agrawal,'' Dr Singh maintained.

The last case of polio in Varanasi was reported three years ago, he added.

''Six teams will work on war footing for two days starting from tomorrow to ensure that none of the children aged upto five, who were yet to be administered the vital drop are left unattended in Reori Talao locality,'' Dr Singh said.

Besides, door to door public awareness programme will also be conducted among the minority community to remove the misconceptions about administering the vital drops to their children.

''We have identified more than 2,500 families in the city, mostly from minority community, whose children are still to be covered through the polio immunisation drive, largely due to an inherent resistance among these families towards the health drive,'' Dr Singh informed.

Efforts were on to rope in services of Madarsas and Civil Defence members to make the pulse polio immunisation drive a huge success in minority dominated polio sensitive pockets of the district, he added.

UNI ARS ATI MB MSJ KP1843