Kalaburagi South MLA Allamprabhu Patil on Sunday launched the National Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme by administering polio drops to children below five years of age at the Urban Primary Health Centre in Shivajinagar near Aland Check-Post in Kalaburagi.

The inaugural programme was organised by the district administration, the Zilla Panchayat, the District Health and Family Welfare Department and the District RCH Office as part of the nation-wide Pulse Polio campaign, which will be conducted till Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Patil appealed to parents to ensure that every child below the age of five receives the mandatory two drops of oral polio vaccine.

He said that the campaign will begin with immunisation at designated booths on the first day, followed by door-to-door visits by health workers over the next three days to cover children who cannot be brought to the centres.

Officials said that 3,51,716 children below the age of five are expected to be covered across Kalaburagi district during the four-day campaign.

A total of 1,519 vaccination booths has been set up for the first day, while 1,453 house-to-house teams, 132 transit vaccination teams and 31 mobile teams will be deployed for the remaining three days.

In all, 1,682 teams, supported by 333 supervisors and 3,364 vaccinators, will participate in the district-wide immunisation drive.

District Health and Family Welfare Officer Sharanabasappa Kyatanal delivered the introductory address, while District RCH Officer Siddu Patil welcomed the gathering.

Kalaburagi North MLA and Chairperson of the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Kaneez Fatima joined the programme and administered polio drops to children.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Rahul Sankanur, Additional Director of Health and Family Welfare Services (North Karnataka, Vijayapura) Pushpa H.R., Joint Director of the District Health Department Shankrappa Mailari, Deputy Director Sharanabasappa Ganajalakhed, WHO Polio Surveillance Officer Anilkumar Talikoti and other officers along with health officials, ASHAs and anganwadi workers participated in the event.