The Hindu Business Line : `Focus on implementation of health programmes'

The Karnataka Government is planning to post more health fieldworkers in seven backward districts to ensure more focussed implementation of various government health programmes, according to the Karnataka Medical Education Minister, Dr V.S. Acharya.

Inaugurating a seminar on `Polio Plus', organised by Rotary Club of Mangalore here on Saturday, Dr Acharya said that the rate of the implementation of some government health programmes is not up to the expected level in districts such as Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Bellary and Koppal.

Follow up

In such a situation, there is a need to follow up with the implementation of the health programmes, including polio eradication. Considering this, the Government is planning to post more health fieldworkers in these districts, he said.

On polio eradication, he said the time has come to review the application and implementation strategy in this matter. The next phase should be more focussed on children under five years, who have not been administered polio drops.

SPURT IN CASES

Delivering the keynote address, Dr P. Narayana, Member of the India National Polio Plus Committee, said that nobody is safe until the world becomes polio-free. There has been a spurt in number of polio cases in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar this year. In Karnataka, the last case of polio was reported in Raichur district in 2004.

Highlighting the strategies for eradication of polio, he said routine immunisation of each child is a must to control the disease. In states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the immunisation drive reached only 16 per cent to 20 per cent of children. He attributed this to the failure of the respective governments in these states.

Pulse polio drive is another strategy that helps in controlling the disease. Such drives will be held for the next three years.

While these strategies have worked in other countries, there have been some cases of polio in India. In such a situation, it is essential to reach the un-reached children to eradicate polio, he added. Mr K. Prakash Rao, President of Rotary Club of Mangalore, presided over the function.

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