SEERAT-Un-NISA
SRINAGAR, Dec 19: All necessary arrangements have been put in place by the Health Department in Jammu and Kashmir for the forthcoming Pulse Polio Immunisation (PPI) drive, which aims to administer polio drops to nearly 19,85,736 children below the age of five years across the Union Territory, officials said on Thursday.
The three-day immunisation campaign will commence on December 21 and will be carried out in a phased manner to ensure complete coverage, even in the most remote and snow-bound areas of the region.
Director Family Welfare, MCH & Immunisation J&K, Dr Poonam Sethi, said that a massive logistical and human resource mobilisation has been undertaken to make the campaign successful. She informed that 10,993 vaccination booths have been set up across Jammu and Kashmir, along with 248 transit points at bus stands, railway stations and other strategic locations to vaccinate children on the move.
In addition to booth-based immunisation, 518 mobile teams have been deployed to conduct intensive house-to-house vaccination drives on December 22 and 23, with the objective of ensuring that no eligible child is missed.
Dr Sethi said that keeping in view the challenging topography and weather conditions, special arrangements have been made for vulnerable and cut-off areas such as Karnah, Gurez and Uri, especially as the Meteorological Department has predicted the possibility of heavy snowfall in these regions during the campaign period.
Echoing similar views, health officials said that advance planning has been done to ensure uninterrupted vaccination in high-altitude and border areas where access often becomes difficult during winter months.
Speaking to Kashmir Despatch, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Bandipora, Dr Ishtiyaq Ahmad, said that in the Medical Block Gurez alone, 5,047 eligible children have been identified for vaccination under the Pulse Polio drive.
“Considering the geographical isolation of Gurez during winter, special logistical arrangements have already been made to ensure smooth and uninterrupted immunisation,” Dr Ahmad said, adding that sufficient manpower and vaccine stock have been positioned well ahead of the campaign.
He further said that 360 Pulse Polio booths have been established across Bandipora district, supported by 720 vaccination teams, comprising nearly 1,440 trained health workers and volunteers. Adequate staff has also been deployed specifically in the Gurez block to ensure seamless execution of the drive starting December 21.
Health officials said that vaccines and essential logistics, including Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material and additional vaccine carrier boxes, have already been dispatched to Gurez and other vulnerable areas well in advance.
To maintain the integrity of the cold chain, vaccines have been stored at multiple cold chain points, including Dawar, Barnai, Sheikhpura, Baduaab, Budugam, Gujran and Bagtoor, strategically covering the upper, middle and lower zones of the valley.
Authorities said a comprehensive contingency plan has been activated to deal with any disruptions caused by snowfall or road closures.
“In case roads become inaccessible due to snow, vaccines have already been stocked at cold chain points catering to nearby sub-centres and booths in areas such as Fyrez, Karnah and Uri,” officials said, adding that this proactive approach will prevent any interruption in the vaccination process.
The Pulse Polio drive will be conducted across Jammu and Kashmir on December 21, 22 and 23, with booth-based vaccination on the first day, followed by door-to-door immunisation through mobile teams on the subsequent days.
Officials further said that if required, the campaign may be extended beyond the scheduled dates to achieve 100 per cent immunisation coverage, reiterating the Health Department’s firm commitment to protecting every child against polio, even in the face of adverse weather and challenging terrain.
