Delhi will become polio free next year: Sheila

New Delhi, Nov 24 (UNI) Reiterating the Delhi Government's commitment to make Delhi a polio-free state, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said it would become Polio free next year.

''This year only one case of polio has been reported in Delhi and the city will become Polio Free next year,''the Chief Minister said after launching another round of Pulse Polio campaign here by administering polio drops to number of children at her residence.

Delhi is all set to make success of Pulse Polio Immunization Programme slated for tomorrow. This time 200-more booths have been Commissioned in addition to booths last time. Special arrangments for administering the drops have been made in trade fair and outside Gurudwaras.

Asserting that it would be ensured that no virus of Polio could enter the territory of the national capital, Ms Dikshit said,''for making a strong nation, we must have strong children, which would only be possible with the success of the Pulse Polio Programme.

Our state has shown better results in this field. Being a pioneer in the Pulse Polio Programme, Delhi is regarded a role model and it would continue to strive hard to completely eliminate Polio.'' This year only one case has been reported and Delhi would become Polio Free next year. 392 cases have been reported this year in the country against 676 last year.

On this occasion, Delhi Health Minister Yoganand Shastri also administered Polio Drops to few children. He conveyed his gratitude towards Rotary Club and other NGOs for making Pulse Polio Campaign a grand success in Delhi.

The Health Minister also informed that 9000 polio booths would be established tomorrow to administer Polio vaccine to lakhs of children of 0-5 age group. Around 30,000 workers and employees of the Health Department would be deployed to ensure maximum reach from 0900 hours to 1600 Hours.

The stalls would be stationed at Railway Stations, ISBTs, Public places including Appu Ghar, major temples, Metro Stations, Millennium Park, Zoo and outlets of Mc Donalds. Apart from this, a door-to-door week-long survey would also be conducted under search and immunization Pulse Polio Campaign.

Around 17,000 workers in different teams would visit different colonies, including Slum and JJ Clusters, to administer Polio Drops to left over children.

Delhi initiated the Pulse Polio Immunization programme in the year 1994 and launched house to house ''search and Immunization'' in the year 1999. Ms Dikshit complimented officials of the health Department for their efforts in overcoming the threat of Polio in Delhi.

UNI