Minister concerned over rising polio cases

PESHAWAR: Voicing concern over the growing number of polio cases in the province, the NWFP Health Minister Syed Zahir Ali Shah Saturday directed the officials concerned to delve into the matter.

Addressing a press conference at the press club, the minister held the inefficiency of the officials responsible for failure to keep polio at bay.

“Ineffective implementation of polio eradication programme is behind the growing number of polio cases,” he said.

He asked the Health Department officials to find out the causes of increase in polio cases, adding that they should come out with a well-contrived policy to contain the disease.

“We’re going to launch an accountability mechanism in the health department to place responsibility on those who were not taking the efforts to eradicate polio seriously,” he said and added departmental inquiry would be initiated against such officials.

The minister, however, said that deteriorating law and order situation in certain parts of the province was the major reason behind growing number of polio cases because anti-polio vaccination could not be carried out in these areas properly.

“We may witness some polio positive cases in the province because of the mass exodus of the people from the militancy-plagued areas,” he said.

But almost in the same breath, he said that no stone would be left unturned for eradication of polio in those areas where polio teams are not facing any hindrance.

He stressed upon the media-persons to play their effective role in creating awareness among masses about the effects of polio on life of a victim.

He said majority of the population in the province was illiterate and they could be sensitised about the seriousness of the disease only through media.

Earlier, EPI NWFP Deputy Director Dr Mujahid told the participants that during the three-day polio vaccination drive, starting from 16th the instant, about 5,621,439 children below the age of five years would be administered polio vaccine.

In NWFP, he added, about 16,229 teams had been constituted for administrating polio drops. He informed that last year about 118 cases of polio were reported in the country - 16 in Sindh, 53 in NWFP, 11 in Balochistan, 29 in the Punjab and five in Islamabad.