As many as 76,000 children below the age of five years were administered oral polio drops across the district to safeguard them from the crippling disease, during a two-day campaign which started here on Sunday.
District Development Commissioner Dr. Sagar D. Doifode inaugurated the IPPI programme by administering polio drops to children at the district hospital, Doda.
2,500 employees, 107 supervisors, and five zonal magistrates were deputed in 541 pulse-polio booths established across the district.
Dr. Sagar D Doifode has directed the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to constitute mobile teams for conducting a house-to-house survey to ensure that a hundred percent target coverage is achieved in the next two days of the drive.
Him Bhagat, a nurse in district hospital Doda said, "This is the first time that I have been assigned the task of administering polio drops to children below the age of five years. I am happy to be part of this immunisation campaign which is aimed at saving the lives of children."
"We request all parents to bring their wards to the nearest health centres for immunisation and save them from polio. Polio has almost been eliminated from India but we still administer these drops to children so that they remain free of this disease," she added.
( With inputs from ANI )