The Punjab Government with a view to eliminate Measles and Rubella today stated the State Level Measles Rubella (MR) Vaccination Campaign from Fridkot. Health and Family Welfare Minister while rolling out the campaign said that during this campaign all children ranging from the age of 9 months to less than 15 years will be vaccinated regardless of previous vaccination with MR/MMR or history of measles/rubella like illness. He informed that an estimated 73 lac 50 thousand and 382 children will be vaccinated in the campaign. He was addressing the mammoth rally at Baba Farid School after the launching of MR Vaccination Campaign.Cabinet Minister said that “We have planned to vaccinate 73,50,382 children in 58,783 sessions, with the help of 5,200 teams,’ said the Health Minister. For this mammoth exercise we have trained 56,974 health staff and volunteers and 48,983 teachers”. He said that if in any case during this vaccination campaign, any child is left out, then the ASHA workers and ANMs as a follow up would go home to home and ensure the vaccination of left out children. Mr. Brahm Mohindra further revealed that it has also come to his notice that certain nefarious and anti-social elements were trying to mislead the society by spreading false & malicious propaganda regarding Measles Rubella Vaccine through social media, which is very unfortunate.While expressing deep concern about such anti-social and misleading activity by vested interests, he said that Department of Health & Family Welfare is coordinating with coordinating with all religious Institutions, all NGO's, Social Organization, MR Campaign among there people.
He also said that all the Civil Surgeons and representative of IMA also have been roped in to counter this false propaganda. Department of Health & Family Welfare, Punjab also launches a massive social Media Campaign to make the public aware about MR Vaccination. He assured everyone that the MR vaccine is absolutely safe like others vaccines and already more than 8 crore children have been vaccinated for MR in 14-15 states of the country and there have been no major side effects. Health Minister appealed the parents to come forward and get their child vaccinated during this campaign and help the nation in achieving the goal of Measles elimination and Rubella control and securing better & healthy life for the generation to come.Health Minister said that Punjab Government under the dynamic leadership of Captain Amarinder is fully aware and sensitive for the overall reform of the health paraphernalia to provide quality health services to the citizens. He revealed that 306 doctors are being recruited shortly besides a policy is being framed to use the the services of 1100 doctors presently working under Zila Prashads. He said that in order to ensure the attendance of doctors at the hospitals bio-metric attendance system would be installed at 22 district hospitals. Mr. Brahm Mohindra further elaborated that “we have been able to eradicate small pox in 1970s, Polio in 2014 and eliminate Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus in 2015 from the country with the help of good immunization coverage.” He said that now, we have pledged along-with other member nations of WHO to eliminate Measles and control Rubella, which are two important childhood infections responsible for large numbers of deaths and disability in children.
Mr. Brahm Mohindra said that newborn, infant and childhood deaths are the most important indicators of the development of any society. Many of these deaths can be prevented by some very simple interventions including taking care of the baby at the time of birth to prevent low body temperature (hypothermia), early initiation of breastfeeding and immunization. Out of these, immunization of the newborn children is an important intervention that helps prevent large no. of infant and under-5 deaths. We are immunising our children against Tuberculosis, Hepatitis-B, Polio, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hemophilus Influenzae B and Measles. He added that State of Punjab has the distinction of having highest full immunization coverage in the country.At this occasion MLA Fardikot Sh. Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon, Sh.Sandeep Singh Sunny Brar OSD to Chief Minister Punjab, Deputy Commissioner Sh. Rajeev Parasher, SSP Dr. Nanak Singh , Vice Chancellor Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Dr. Raj Bahadur, Director Health Services Dr. Jaspal Kaur, Director Family Welfare Dr. Naresh Kansra, Ex. MLA Sh. Joginder Singh Panjgrain, Sh. Mohammd Sadique , Chairman Baba Farid Education Institution Sh. Inderjeet Singh Khalsa, Sh. Maheepinder Singh Sekhon, Sh. Surinder Gupta, State Programmer Officer Dr. J.B. Singh, Dr. Civil Surgeon Rajinder Kumar, Dr. Saneev Sethi, Dr. B.P Singh, Distt. Guidance Counsellor Sh. Jasbir Jassi, Jaswinder Singh Sikhawala etc. were present.