National Immunisation campaign launched in J&K by Health Minister Sakina Itoo

The Pulse Polio Campaign across Jammu and Kashmir was kickstarted on Sunday by Health Minister Sakeena Itoo at the Government Hospital, Gandhinagar, here.
The Minister administered polio drops to toddlers and children, symbolically marking the beginning of the campaign across Jammu and Kashmir aimed at ensuring zero polio cases.

Addressing the gathering, the Minister emphasised the critical role of routine immunisation and community participation in maintaining J&K’s polio-free status.

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She urged parents and guardians to actively cooperate with healthcare workers and ensure that every child receives the life-saving polio vaccine during the campaign. “To ensure administration of Polio drops to children under this campaign is a very important responsibility for both parents and not just the mother, ” the Minister stated.

She highlighted that the Health department is working efficiently under this campaign and achieved polio-free status for J&K. She lauded the efforts of frontline health workers, ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, volunteers, and district health teams for their tireless dedication in reaching every household, including those in far-flung and vulnerable areas.

“Going to far-flung areas and giving these two drops to children there was very challenging, but our frontline staff delivered on that efficiently”, she said.

The Minister further highlighted that the department has established around 11,000 booths across J&K, involving 40,000 healthcare workers and around 20 lakh children will be administered Polio drops during the campaign.

She added that special immunisation booths, mobile teams, and house-to-house visits have been put in place across all districts to cover every eligible child, and robust monitoring mechanisms have also been established to ensure effective implementation of the campaign.

Speaking on the occasion, MLA Vikram Randhawa said that the National Immunisation Day (Polio) Campaign forms a key component of the government’s public health strategy to protect future generations and strengthen disease prevention measures across Jammu and Kashmir. He called upon all the parents, public and responsible citizens to contribute towards this campaign.

The MLA also lauded the continuous efforts of Health Minister Sakeena Itoo for bringing improvements in healthcare infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir.
In his address, Secretary Health, Dr Syed Abid Rasheed, said that this day is very important for maintaining the status of polio-free India, which our country achieved in the year 2014. He called upon the parents and public to actively participate in this campaign.