The Hindu

Mangalore, Jan 8: The district achieved 91.05 per cent coverage in administering polio drops to children under the age of five on the first day of the Pulse Polio immunization drive that began on Sunday.

In all, 1, 64,055 children out of 1, 79,449 were administered polio drops. The remaining children will be covered in the next two days, H Jagannath, district health officer, told media.

The coverage was 88.56 per cent in Mangalore rural taluk and 82.67 per cent in Mangalore urban taluk. In Bantwal 95 per cent of children were administered the drops in the rural taluk and 94 per cent of children were covered in the urban taluk.

Puttur urban taluk achieved 95 per cent coverage, while Puttur rural taluk achieved 93 per cent.

In Beltangady taluk 92.9 per cent children were covered and 93.44 per cent children were given polio drops in Sullia taluk. In areas under Mangalore City Corporation the coverage was 93.44 per cent.

Dr Jagannath said that many children were administered polio drops at transit booths which were set up at bus stands and railway stations. Health Department officials also visited marriage halls and administered polio drops, he added.

B. Nagaraj Shetty, Minister for Fisheries, Endowment and district-in-charge, inaugurated the drive by administering polio drops to children at Government Wenlock Hospital here.

Udupi correspondent reports: In Udupi, 92 per cent of children in the age group were administered polio drops on Sunday.

According to the figures provided by the Department of Health and Family Welfare here,

82,258 of the 89,631 children in the age group in the district, were administered the drops. Medical Education Minister V S Acharya inaugurated the campaign by administering the drops to a child at Government Maternity and Children's Hospital in Udupi.

K Raghupati Bhat, MLA, M.R. Nayak, District Health Officer, and Shantha Naik, President of Udupi City Municipal Council were present.