Rotary Club hands over Pulse Polio IEC materials to Health Deptt

GANGTOK, 16 Jan: The handing over ceremony of Information, Education and Communication [IEC] materials for the upcoming Pulse Polio Immunization Programme [19 to 21 January and 23 to 25 February] by the Rotary Club of Gangtok to the State Health Department was held at the European conference hall of the STNM Hospital today.
Present for the programme were Dr Yogesh Verma [Medical Superintendent, STNM Hospital], Dr PM Pradhan [Mission Director, NRHM], Dr Phumsay Denzongpa [Joint Director, Immunization], Dr Praveen Somani [President, Rotary Club of Gangtok] and members of Rotary Club of Gangtok.
Speaking about the Pulse Polio Immunization Programme, Dr Phumsay Denzongpa [Joint Director, Immunization] informed that the last case of polio in India was reported in the month of January, 2010 and then in February, 2012 the World Health Organization [WHO] removed the name of India from the list of countries still having polio cases. In March, this year the South East Asian Countries Commission will be stamping its seal making India a polio free country, after a span of three years of the last case reported from the said country, she added.
Since there are some polio free countries that have reported cases of polio re-infection after being declared polio free countries the Government of India is taking all the necessary steps to eradicate polio completely, she said and added that due to budget constraints regarding the programme, the Rotary Club of Gangtok had been helping the Health Department with providing IEC materials for the past many years. This, she added had helped in the promotion and success of the programme immensely.
Dr Yogesh Verma [Medical Superintendent, STNM Hospital] informed that after the success of the pulse polio programme in the Philippines, the Rotary Club had taken it up as a challenge to eradicate polio completely in India and this, he stated had been possible with the help of the Government of India, WHO and other such organizations making India a polio free country for which India will be receiving certification within a span of three years.
The programme will begin on 19 January [Pulse Polio Sunday] where children between the age of 0 to 05 years will be given the two pulse polio drops at the 850 plus polio booths which will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. all over the state and then the next two days [20 and 21 January] where house-to-house activities will be done to ensure that no children have been left out, especially new born, sick or handicapped children who could not come to the booth for their polio drops, he said and added that this would be done again on 23 to 25 February.
Dr PM Pradhan [Mission Director, NRHM] informed that the Health Minister had held a meeting recently where he had congratulated all the doctors and people involved in the Pulse Polio Immunization Programme. It has been more than a decade since a polio virus case was reported in Sikkim, he said and added that it has been over three years that India has been declared a polio free country.
In the end he thanked Rotary Club for their endless support not only for providing IEC materials for the pulse polio programme but also for providing good support in various other health related issues.
Dr Praveen Somani [President, Rotary Club of Gangtok] informed that Rotary Club has been helping out with IEC materials for the children for the past several years. He further requested the media fraternity to propagate the message about the pulse polio programme so that every child in the state of Sikkim is immunized.
The Rotary Club has supplied 200 Aprons, 200 caps for children, 850 plus banners and 10,000 whistles for children as IEC materials for the pulse polio programme to the State Health Department.