Chaitanya Sravanthi president Dr. Shirin Rahaman (right) interacting with a little girl, who came to take the HPV vaccine, as Police Commissioner Shanka Bratha Bagchi and others look on at a vaccination camp held in Visakhapatnam. File Photo : Special Arrangment
Police Commissioner Shanka Bratha Bagchi expressed the hope that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine would included in the national immunisation programme of the Centre.
Dr. Bagchi inaugurated an HPV vaccination camp, jointly organised by Natco Trust, Lions Club of Vizag and Chaitanya Sravanthi, an NGO, at the Police Conference hall, in Visakhapatnam on Saturday (December 13, 2025). The camp was meant for girl children, of police personnel and home guards, in the age group of 9 to 14 years.
Speaking on the occasion, the Police Commissioner commended Dr. Shirin Rahaman, president of Chaitanya Sravanthi, who initiated the camp. He said that the police department would soon organise a rally on the Beach Road to create awareness among the general public on cervical cancer. He called upon the NGOs and social service organisations to conduct camps for other diseases like hepatitis, pnuemonia and typhoid as the police personnel, who work round the clock were exposed to the vagaries of the weather.
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Dr. Rahaman said that the HPV vaccine was totally safe and there was no cause for worry. She spoke on the need for extending the HPV vaccination programme to rural areas for the protection of girls in the villages. It was an expensive proposition and appealed to the Central and State Government to cooperate in the mission. The vaccine should be given in two doses in a gap of six months.
Dr. Sarojini, a retired District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO) and Lions Cancer Hospital Managing Trustee Umamaheswara Rao were among those who spoke.
Published – December 14, 2025 10:57 am IST
