Calling the introduction of Injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) as a landmark step to provide double protection to the children and securing our gains of polio eradication, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Bali Bhagat Saturday said that this is an important step in the Polio Endgame Strategy and will strengthen full immunization efforts in the country.The Minister said this during a function organized by Department of Health Services at Government Hospital Sarwal here today.On the occasion, Legislature Sat Sharma, Secretary Health & Medical Education, M K Bandari, Director Health Services Jammu, B S Pathania, Director Family Welfare, Baldev Raj Sharma, Director NHM, Dr Mohan Singh, Medical Superintendent and senior doctors, para medical staff and officers were also present.
The minister said that the government has taken another step towards a polio-free future by launch of IPV injection which will be administered to the children below one year of age along with the third dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine, at about 3 ½ months of age. He informed that this vaccine will be administered in the health centers free of cost.“We have to make concerted efforts to intensify our efforts to ensure that every child in the state is benefited by the immunization programme, the Health Minister said adding that doctors and field functionaries have a vital role in making the people aware about these immunization programmes.Highlighting the initiatives underway to improve the health care system in the state the minister informed that the government is contemplating a new mechanism to check pilferage of medicines in the government health institutions and specific colour strip would be embossed on all medicines supplied to the government hospitals to distinguish them from the similar medicines available in the market.The minister further directed the concerned to ensure that each hospital has digital display boards having duty roster of officers for the information of general public.