The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

4 lakh kids get polio drops
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 23 — The fourth and final round of the Intensified Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme, apparently, drew a lukewarm response, particularly in the urban areas of the UT. The response was somewhat better in the rural areas, mostly in the slums, where children were administered Vitamin A solution along with polio drops.

However, officials claimed that 1,01,518 children below the age of five were administered oral polio drops in the city on the first day of the fourth round of the four-phase Pulse Polio programme today. Besides this, 4,489 children above the age of five were also administered polio drops at 325 immunisation booths in various parts of the city. Mobile vans, 20 in all, reached out to people in various areas.

Meanwhile, as many as 21,354 children were administered Vitamin A solution on the first day of the campaign in 71 IPPI booths located in the slums of the city. Dr V.K. Kak, Director and Principal of Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, visited Kumhar and Janata Colonies in Sector 25, Pandit Colony, Kajehri, Colony No. 4 and 5, and Mauli Jagran, to administer Vitamin A solution and polio drops to children below the age of 5. The remaining children will be covered along with the IPPI teams on door-to-door campaigns on the second and third days of the drive.

A visit to some of the IPPI booths in Sectors 8, 9, 15, 24, 35 and 36 revealed that only a few children had turned up. Some parents complained of poor hygienic conditions under which these drop were administered.

However, Dr M.P. Minocha, Director Family Welfare and Coordinator of the Pulse Polio drive, said the booths covered many areas and persons. The response was massive in Karsan, Bapu Dham and Colony No. 4 and 5.

The Adviser to the UT Administrator, Ms Vineeta Rai, accompanied by the UT Health Secretary, Mr Rakesh Singh, and Director Health Services, Mr Joginder Singh, visited certain high-risk areas, including Primary Health Centre, Mani Majra, and the Daria subcentre to give the drops to infants.

Various non-government organisations, including Rotary Club and Lions Club, were also involved in this campaign.

As many as 44,200 children were administered these drops at the 85 booths set up by the International Association of Lions Clubs Chandigarh Regions VIII and IX in collaboration with the UT Health Department. In all 20 Lions Club units and 4 Leo Club units participated in the campaign. According to the Zone chairman, Mr K.K. Monga, more than 6,500 children were given polio drops at 10 booths set up by the State bank of India, Treasury Branch, and its seven branches in collaboration with the Lions Club, Chandigarh. Special emphasis was laid on administering polio drops to the children of migrant labourers.

More than 2,000 children below the age of five were administered polio drops at three centres set up by the Lions Club Rose and the Leo Club Rose at Sector 31 Colony and the Tribune roundabout.

Volunteers also administered polio drops to children after stoping buses at the Tribune roundabout. More than 1,500 children were given these drops at two centres set up by the Lions Club Lotus at Butrela village. More than 2,500 children were given the drops at 5 centres in Colony No. 5 by the Lions Club Midtown. As many as 2,216 children were administered these drops at six centres set up by the Lions Club Chandigarh Greater at Karsan village.

The State Bank of India, Sector 17 branch, in collaboration with GMCH-32 sponsored the camps set up for the launch of the mass distribution of Vitamin A in the slums of the city. Mr V.K. Gupta, Deputy General Manager of the bank, highlighted the role of the bank in organising such events.

A nine-member team of the US Rotarians of Milwaukee have arrived in Chandigarh on a special mission to help the Rotary Club of Chandigarh in the drive.

PANCHKULA: Polio drops were administered to 57,320 children of the district upto the age of 5 against a target of 54,611 in the fourth round of the Pulse Polio programme, here today.

Panchkula and Kalka covered 13,074 and 2,936 children, respectively, under the programme. The highest number of children to be administered the drops were at the rural post of Old Panchkula where 7,773 children reported against an expected number of over 5,000 children.

The rise in the number of children who were brought to these camps was attributed to the increase in the number of migrant labour. The targets for each post had been set when the polio drive was launched four months ago. Also, in the past months, the population has grown and the number of births in these months has also contributed to this increase.

However, the urban pockets had a lower turnout in comparison to the rural posts and doctors said this was because residents were aware that following the drive today, health workers would also undertake a door-to-door drive in the next two days.

Efforts to cover maximum children were made by deploying mobile vans for the purpose. "During the second phase of the drive, we had missed covering pockets in the Sector 21 jhuggis and persons had also failed to bring their children to the camps. This time, we made special arrangements and extra mobile vans were used to cover this area,'' a doctor said.

In all, 298 posts were set up in the district. While 33 posts were set up at Morni, there were 27 posts at Barwala, 26 at Raipur Rani, 47 at Kalka, 40 at Pinjore, 24 at Old Panchkula, 32 at Kot, 22 at Hangola, 31 at Panchkula and 16 at Kalka (urban).

SAS NAGAR: In the fourth and intensified Pulse Polio immunisation programmee about 10,000 children up to the age of five were given polio drops at 51 posts set up in and around the town.

At 33 posts, including three mobile posts manned by the teams of Civil Hospital in Phase VI here, 9,075 children were immunised. Though the figures released by the health authorities showed an increase in the number of children who were administered polio drops, lack of enthusiasm among the people came to light at some of the posts.

In the previous drive on December 19 last, 8,750 children were registered at the 33 posts manned by the medical staff of the civil hospital. To encourage people, five lucky draws at each post were held.

At four posts manned by the Ranbaxy Community Healthcare Society in and around the town, 1,518 children were given polio drops.

DERA BASSI: As many as 25,688 children upto the age of 5 were given the polio drops in the final phase of the Pulse Polio drive in the Dera Bassi subdivision today.

The children of rural, urban, and factories were given the vaccine. The slum children of and those living the areas around brick kilns in the subdivision were given polio drops.

Besides the health workers, hundreds of volunteers of various social organisations were deployed at 98 booths in Dera Bassi during the campaign. Mobile vans were used to cover slum areas, industries and brick kilns by the Health Department. School students also joined the campaign.

According to Dr Vinod Gagneja, Head of Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi, 23,280 children of the rural areas and 2,408 of the urban areas, were given the polio drops with the help of 90 teams in rural and eight teams in urban areas. To make the drive a success, 408 health workers were also put on duty, he said.

The work done by the Rotary Clubs of Dera Bassi, the Bharat Vikas Parishad, Dera Bassi unit, and NCC cadets of Government High School, Dapper, was also appreciated.

LALRU: As many as 3,627 children upto the age of 5 were given the polio drops in the last phase of Pulse Polio drive here today. The children of rural, urban and slum areas, besides those living near industries and brick kilns were given polio drops.

Besides the health workers, volunteers of various social organisations, students of the NSS wing of Government Senior Secondary School and Scouts and Guides wing of Samta Public School were deployed at 12 booths in the town during the campaign. To cover the slum areas, industries and brick kilns, mobile teams were pressed into service.

Five children at each booth were also given toys in lucky draws.

SPORT

Canara Bank, HSIDC enter semis
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Jan 23 — Canara Bank entered the semi-finals along with Haryana State Industrial Devolopment Corporation today in the Inter-Financial Sector Cricket Tournament being played at DAV College, Sector 10, here. The other semi-finalists include United India Insurance Corporation and the LIC of India.

Today, Canara Bank beat Punjab Financial Corporation by 11 runs, while the HSIDC scored a 54-runs victory over the Central Bank of India.

Brief scores: HSIDC — 170 runs all out (Jagmohan 35, Sanjeev 28, S. Mehta 21, Bharat Jain 2 for 35, Sanjay Bhatia 3 for 43); Central Bank — 116 runs for five wickets (Sanjay Bhatia 43, T.S. Sohal 18, Rajiv 2 for 14).

A two-minute silence was also observed by the players in the memory of Vivekanand Murthy, DM of Canara bank.

Canara Bank — 140 runs for eight wickets (Rampal 27, Charan Das 21, S.R. Subramanium 27, Deepak 3 for 32, Manoj 2 for 17); PFC — 129 all out in 18 overs (Manoj 33, Anil 22, H. Rao 3 for 28, Charandas 2 for 26).

In the semi-finals, Canara Bank will play against Oriental Insurance Company Limited, while the LIC of India will take on United Insurance Company Limited on January 26.

Cricket tourney: Prudential Cricket Club beat Tari Cricket Club by five wickets in a match of the B.S. Duggal Memorial Cricket Tournament played today at Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 27.

Brief scores: Tari CC — 145 runs all out in 25 overs (Daljeet 25, Bepan 17, Ashu 16, Ajay Walia 4 for 30, Vipin Vashisht 2 for 38); Prudential CC — 146 runs for five wickets in 22 overs (Bhavneet Singh 47 n.o., Tek Tejinder Pal Singh 42, Manish Joshi 15, Rawat 3 for nine).

ADMINISTRATION

Officers to ensure power supply
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 23 — Senior functionaries of the Electricity Operations Circle of the Engineering Department of the Chandigarh Administration will be on duty from midnight tonight as powermen and power engineers from all over North India go on a 24-hour token strike in support of their colleagues in Uttar Pradesh.

"We have made all arrangements to ensure that even in case of a problem, power supply to essential services is restored and maintained during the strike period," a spokesman of the Electricity Operations Wing said.

The engineers are apprehensive about some sabotage in the northern grid by agitating UP employees, whose cascading affect may disrupt power supply in other northern states and union territories.

With employees on token strike, they feel that sufficient manpower may not be available to restore or revive the system once it has tripped due to any major tripping anywhere in the grid.

Though the UT Powermen Union has maintained that it will remain peaceful during its 24-hour strike beginning midnight, all engineers of the rank of Subdivisional Engineer and above will be on duty from midnight to maintain the services. The UT Powermen Union will organise a protest rally outside the Sector 18-A Electricity Office between 2 pm and 4 pm tomorrow.

"For us, the Ropar Thermal Plant and its generation is very important. All will depend on its functioning for the next 24 hours. If the thermal power station remains operational, we will not face any problem," a senior functionary said.